How You Like Me Now?
by IcyJadeXOXO
Summary: Peter and Neal investigates a series of thefts...sounds simple enough; until women from their pasts comes back and complicates matters.  AU/OOC
1. Chapter 1

**Title** : _**How You Like Me Now?**_

**Author's Notes** : Women from Neal and Peter's pasts return to complicate their case. An idea born out of listening to the song way too much. A character that I created from a previous fic has a surprising connection to Peter Burke. Not used to writing Peter Burke stories, so apologies if it's too out of character. Follows "Father and Son" & "Starry Night".

**Disclaimer** : I don't own any of the _**recognizable characters**_. That honor belongs to _**Jeff Eastin**_, _**White Collar writers **_and **USA Network**.

**Summary** : Peter and Neal investigates a series of thefts...sounds simple enough; until women from their pasts comes back and complicates matters. [AU/OOC]

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><p><strong>CHAPTER ONE<strong>

* * *

><p><span>FBI HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK CITY FIELD OFFICE...<span>

Neal Caffrey stood behind Peter Burke as they waited in line to go through the metal detectors for inspection. Lunch hour was over, and numerous FBI employees are on their way to get back to their respective offices. In front of him, Peter was having a conversation with a fellow FBI agent from another department.

"_Peter, I know that you're a skeptic when it comes to these things! Hell, I was too! But facts are facts! We have a 97% recovery rate since we brought her on board!" _said Special Agent Martin Brewer from Missing Persons Unit.

"_Martin, I would still chalk that up to coincidence. There's a reason why they call it a 'lucky guess'!"_ Peter replied.

"_I heard that!"_ said a female voice in front of them. It was Simone Cassadega, the 'Independent Consultant' hired by the FBI to help the Child Abduction Rapid Deployment Team.

"_Miss Cassadega, no offense, but I actually do prefer real honest to goodness field work rather than relying on a psychic for information."_ Peter answered.

"_Call me, Simone. And no offense taken. I'm used to close-minded people like you taking jab at what I do!"_ she told Peter. _"Tell me something...are you any close at all to finding a suspect on your recent case? If not, let me know if and when you need my help!"_ Simone said sarcastically.

Simone was talking about the recent string of thefts that the White Collar unit is trying to get to the bottom of. A thief, or thieves, have been stealing shipments of expensive golden statues that belong to a rich art collector named Erwan Solenn. Mr. Solenn had been on a trip around the world recently, purchasing golden statues from all over the world, and mailing it to his office in New York City. But before the statues even get delivered to his office, someone steals it from the shipping dock or the warehouse stock. There are four statues that have been stolen so far, and there are still five more that they are waiting on to get to the country. Something that did not sit well at all with a very frustrated Peter.

Peter turned to his CI. _"Hey, Neal! I think Simone just made a crack at your skills. She seems to think that she'll do a better job than you in recovering those stolen statues!"_ Peter said.

"_Don't drag me into his!"_ Neal answered. He turned to Simone. _"If it were up to me, I'd be more than willing to accept any assistance from you!"_ he told her as he smiled.

As a recovering con artist, he's had his fair share of dealing with so-called 'psychics', but he didn't have anything against them. _We all gotta make a living! _he thought to himself. Besides, cons need to stick together.

"_Please! You don't think I know when I'm being patronized, Caffrey?"_ she scoffed.

Neal had to do a double take. For a moment there, Simone sounded a lot like Alex when she spoke. _Alex._ She had been on Neal's mind a lot lately, especially since the recent revelation about Nicholas' paternity. Neal was about to say something, but the line moved. Soon, they passed through the metal detector inspection and were headed towards the elevators, which was also crowded. They ran into Jones, who was also waiting to get to their floor.

"_Hey there, Jones! What's with the hold up?"_ Peter asked him.

"_Well, apparently, there are some visiting UN big shot diplomats due to arrive soon. They're reserving a couple of elevators for the delegation."_ Agent Jones answered.

"_Ugh! This is going to be a long wait!"_ said Simone.

"_Is that based on your expert psychic opinion?" _Peter asked sarcastically.

"_Okay, you know what? I get that you don't approve of my presence here at the __bureau! I must remind you though...I helped reunite two children with their parents last night! You, on the other hand, still have nine missing statues, not to mention a suspect that keeps slipping off your fingers!"_ she reminded him.

"_Alright then! Let's keep this friendly!"_ Agent Brewer told them, trying to keep the argument from escalating. _"Tell you what...I bet you lunch tomorrow that Cassadega here can tell you something about yourself that no one else knows!" _he said.

Neal saw that Peter hesitated, so in the spirit of keeping the peace between the two departments, he volunteered himself to be the first victim. _"Sounds interesting! I'll go first!"_ he said, stepping forward.

"_Give me your hands."_ Simone demanded.

Neal obeyed. He gave her his hands, and she held them both in hers, palms down. She closed her eyes and was silent for a moment. With her eyes still shut, she finally spoke.

"_You met someone recently."_ she began. _"And yet, you love him more than you love yourself."_ she said. Then she opened her eyes. _"Oh! He is beautiful! Just like you!"_ she added.

"_Him? He? You been holding out on us, Caffrey?"_ Jones said, chuckling.

Neal just looked a Simone and remained quiet. In return, she flashed him a warm and understanding smile. Neal nodded and then turned his attention to Peter. _"I believe it's your turn now!"_ he told his friend.

"_What? I never agreed to any of this!"_ Peter protested.

"_Come on, Peter! What are you so afraid of?"_ Neal asked.

Peter looked at Simone, who was motioning for him to give her his hands. He sighed. _"Oh, alright!"_ he grumbled before obeying.

Simone took his hands and closed her eyes. She concentrated, before finally speaking. _"You will meet your first love before I even get back to my floor."_ she stated.

Peter took his hands away. _"Well, I can tell you now that you're wrong! My wife, who is my one and only love...is away on a trip to San Francisco, which is where she'll be be for at least two more weeks. Therefore, I can't possibly see her in here within seconds from now, can I?"_ he told Simone.

Simone opened her eyes and looked at him _"You will meet your first love before I even get back to my floor."_ she repeated.

Just then, the elevator doors finally opened. Agent Brewer and Simone stepped inside, joined by other FBI employees. Peter, Neal and Jones tried to get inside as well, but Simone stopped them.

"_You'd want to take the next one, trust me!"_ she said, before the elevators closed.

Peter was frustrated that they needed to wait for the next elevator. Moments after, there was a commotion of a crowd near them. A group of well-dressed people headed towards the elevator a few yards away from them. At first glance, none of them looked familiar.

Then, Peter saw her. A strikingly beautiful woman, about Peter's age. She was tall, almost the same height as Peter. She had long, straight, black hair, stunning golden brown, round shaped eyes and lovely full lips. She looked like she belonged in a billboard endorsing a beauty product.

Peter froze in his tracks, as memories came flooding back. He was stunned speechless, as he watched the woman and her group get inside the elevator. _It can't be! _he thought to himself. He thought his eyes were just deceiving him. He turned to Agent Jones.

"_Jones! Did you see that woman who just rode the elevator? I want you to find out everything you can about her! ASAP!"_ he ordered him.

"_Yes, boss!"_ Jones replied.

Neal looked curiously at his friend. Something about the woman definitely frazzled Peter. The three then stepped inside the elevator that just opened. Neal turned to Peter, who was still silent and perplexed.

"_Peter? Why do I get the feeling that you owe Agent Brewer lunch tomorrow?"_ he asked, before pressing the button for the 21st floor.

* * *

><p>Peter remained in his office for the most part of the day. He told everyone that he doesn't wish to be disturbed, unless it was absolutely important. He sat there, with his chair leaning backwards, and stared at the ceiling. As silence surrounded him, he let himself be taken by the memories he kept hidden in his head and in his heart.<p>

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><p><span>WILLOW FALLS, PENNSYLVANIA, FIFTEEN YEARS AGO...<span>

Peter, his hands behind his back, bound by his own handcuffs, struggled with Hugo Aragon. But the criminal hit him with the butt of the gun he was holding, which had the young FBI agent seeing stars. Peter, shook his head, as he struggled to stay awake. They were in a secluded area, at the edge of a cliff near an old mill, and right on top of a river. The rope bridge that they were on at the time started to wobble. The two men hang on to the bridge handles so that they wouldn't fall into the water below. Peter tried to lunge at Hugo, but the man pointed the gun back at him.

"_Give it up, Hugo! She'll never show up! She spent a lifetime trying to get away from you!"_ Peter yelled at him.

"_Oh, she will come! Trust me! She'll do it...just to save you!" _Hugo said in a thick Spanish accent.

Peter went for the criminal again, but his injuries prevented him from being successful. Once again, Hugo overpowered him, grabbing him from behind and pointing the gun to Peter's temple.

"_Don't be in such a hurry to die, Agent Burke! I will kill you, I promise you that! But not until Carolina gets here! I want her to watch her lover die by my hands!" _Hugo said.

"_Let Peter go, Hugo!"_ a voice said in a Spanish accent. Then, a female figure appeared out of nowhere, joining them on the bridge.

"_No, Carol! Run! He'll just kill us both!"_ Peter said, as he struggled weakly. Carol ignored him.

"_You heard me, Hugo! Let my _**_fiancé_**_ go!"_ Carol ordered again.

"_Ay, mi c__ariño! [Oh, my sweetheart!] What makes you think that I'll let you go? Just like that?"_ Hugo asked Carol. _"I told you, you would pay! You lying, cheating puta!"_ he screamed.

Hugo turned to whisper into Peter's ear. _"You will never have my wife! One __of us needs to die before that happens! And I'm not planning to die anytime soon!"_ he told him as he laughed maniacally.

"_Please, Hugo, I beg you! No one has to die! Please! Just let us go!" _Carol pleaded.

"_You call that BEGGING, esposa? Come on, Carolina! You can do better!"_ he told her.

Carol looked at her ex-husband. _"I'm not your wife anymore, Hugo!"_ she told him. _"And you WILL let us go! Or else!"_ she warned him.

"_Or else what?"_ Hugo asked her. "_You are not in any position to make threats!"_ he said.

"_Oh...but I am!"_ she answered. She then took something out of her jacket pocket. _"You remember this, Hugo?"_ she asked him, as she held out a black velvet pouch. She opened the pouch and took a diamond and held it out with two fingers. The diamond was clear, about the size of a walnut, shaped like a teardrop.

"_The Devil's Teardrops!"_ Hugo declared. _"You had them all along!"_ he said.

"_Yes, but you can have them!"_ Carol replied. _"I will give them all to you, in exchange for Peter's life!"_ she said. _"The diamonds will be yours, just as long as you let us go!"_ she told him.

"_And if I don't?"_ Hugo asked his ex-wife.

"_Well then...you can kiss these babies adios!"_ Carol told him. As she dropped one of the diamonds into the water. She saw Hugo panicked, and she continued to drop another one of the gems into the water.

"_Noooo! Stop that!"_ Hugo yelled.

"_How about it, Hugo? Let Peter go, and you can have the rest!"_ Carol said. She saw that Hugo still didn't make a move, so she took another diamond and dropped it down the river.

Hugo screamed with rage. He pushed Peter away and immediately lunged for Carol. But the bridge was unstable. It wobbled and threw Hugo and Carol off-balance. Both of them fell off the bridge.

"_Noooooooo! CAROL!"_ Peter screamed on top of his lungs, as he watched the two plunge into the raging river.

* * *

><p><span>PETER'S OFFICE, FBI FIELD OFFICE NYC, PRESENT DAY...<span>

A knock on his door broke into Peter's thoughts, snapping him out of his reminiscing. He wiped the tears from his eyes and tried to composed himself, before answering.

"_Who is it?"_ Peter asked.

"_It's me, Peter. I got something for you."_ Agent Jones answered.

"_Come in!"_ Peter told him.

Jones entered Peter's office. He remained standing. "_I have that information you asked for earlier." _Jones told Peter, looking very worried.

Peter noticed this. _"What's wrong?"_ he asked the agent.

"_Agent Hughes wants to see us both in his office."_ Jones informed him.

"_Agent Hughes? Why?"_ Peter asked again.

"_I got flagged when I tried to pull up that woman's file during my research."_ Jones replied.

What Jones said next made Peter's jaw drop.

"_As it turns out, that woman's name is Valerie Vega. The same Valerie Vega that is the current Chief of Field Operations of the Logistics Directorate for the United Nations Security Council!"_ Jones told him.

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><p>~<strong>END OF CHAPTER ONE<strong>~

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><p><strong>Footnotes<strong> :

*This is my first attempt in writing a fic that has a lot of Peter Burke in it. Apologies if it's out of character.

*Working under the assumption that Peter has worked for the FBI for years. The flashback happened during his days as a probie...years before he even et Elizabeth.

*Agent Martin Brewer and his consultant Simone Cassadega, as well as Erwan Solenn, Hugo and Carolina Aragon and Valerie Vega are characters that I created.

*Willow Falls is purely fictional.

*You may remember Valerie Vega as Alex's friend and Aretha's mentor. She was an accomplished thief, before she worked for the UNSC.

*Thanks for taking the time to read this story. If you liked it, please feel free to leave a comment.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER TWO**

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><p>Peter and Jones were inside Special Agent Reese Hughes office. They watched and waited until Hughes got off the phone. Finally, the head agent in charge of the White Collar Unit hung up and turned to face them.<p>

"_That was A.D. Bancroft on the phone, Agent Burke. He would like to know why he got a call from the IT branch informing him that one of your agents..." _he pauses and looked at Jones._ "...decided to look up the confidential dossier belonging to one of the key officers of the United Nations Security Council? Frankly, I would like to know the answer myself!"_ Hughes informed them.

Kyle Bancroft was Hughes boss. Actually, he was everyone's boss now that he was recently promoted as Assistant Director in Charge of FBI's New York City field office. As it turned out, the delegates from the UNSC Logistics Directorate were there to meet with Bancroft personally.

Agent Jones sat up straight in his chair and was about to speak, but Peter stopped him. Peter stood up and walked over to Hughes. _"He was acting on MY orders, Reese."_ he admitted. _"If there's anyone in this room who's guilty of anything, it's me."_ he added.

"_Peter? Why did you ask him to do that?" _Hughes asked him.

Peter opened the folder that Jones gave him earlier. He took out a surveillance photo and handed it to Hughes. _"Because of this. Does she look familiar to you?"_ he asked the senior agent.

"_My God!"_ Hughes exclaimed after seeing the photograph. _"But it can't be her!"_ he said. He looked at Peter straight in the eye. _"She died a long time ago, Peter!"_ he reminded Peter. Hughes, being one of Peter's oldest friends and colleague at the bureau, knew all about Carol.

"_Excuse me...who died a long time ago?" _Jones asked.

Peter looked at Jones and sighed. Since he got in trouble because of Peter in the first place, he deserve to know the truth. So Peter sat back down to his seat and proceeded to tell the story of one 'Carolina Aragon'.

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><p>After Peter and Jones' came back from Hughes office, Peter once again went into seclusion inside his office. He remembered Hughes advising them to keep this matter quiet, so as not to attract any more unwanted attention from the bosses. Hughes also tried to convince him that Carol was really dead and that Chief Vega was merely a look-alike. Of course, Peter didn't buy it. He knew in his gut that there was something else going on.<p>

He then heard a knock on his door. Everyone else had left for the day. All except for one. Neal Caffrey announced himself, before entering his office.

"_Hey, there. How was your trip to the principal's office?"_ Neal asked, as he sat down on one of the chairs.

"_Everything's fine."_ was Peter's short answer.

"_Okay. Let me rephrase that...did the woman on the elevator get you in trouble?"_ Neal asked again.

"_Damn it, Neal! Just let it go!"_ Peter ordered him.

"_Fine."_ Neal answered.

Peter waited for Neal to question him again, but Neal just remained silent. _"What? That's it? You're not going to ask me any more questions?"_ Peter asked him suspiciously.

"_You obviously don't want to talk about it! I understand if you want to make your private life 'PRIVATE'!"_ Neal replied.

"_I don't like it when you say that!"_ Peter told him. _"Because it usually means that you're keeping something from me!" _he accused Neal.

"_Hey! This isn't about ME!"_ Neal snapped back. _"Look, Peter..."_ he said in a calmer tone. _"If you want to talk, I'm here to listen. Who knows? Maybe if you get this out of your system, you can finally stop hiding in your office!" _he told his friend.

Peter looked at him, trying to decide if Neal deserved to know the truth about his past. He finally spoke. _"Alright, Neal...but whatever I say does not leave this room!_" he warned Neal.

"_Alright...you have my word."_ Neal answered.

"_It all happened fifteen years ago...years before I even met Elizabeth!"_ Peter began. _"I was this young, naïve, and inexperienced probie agent, freshly harvested from Quantico. My first case involved a woman named 'Carolina Aragon'."_ Peter said, letting the name roll of his tongue.

"_Peter...that name, it sounds familiar."_ Neal told him. He tried to recall where he had heard it from. Then, he remembered. _"Carolina Aragon...she __was 'The Mist'! Peter...she was one of the best jewel thieves of her generation!"_ Neal exclaimed.

"_Yes, she was."_ Peter sad with a sad smile. _"Back then, Reese Hughes lead the investigation which handled her case. I was one of the agents who worked on his team. One time, we got a tip regarding what her next target was and we staked her out. Sure enough, she showed up. There was a chase, she got injured. I caught her." _he told Neal.

"_She made a deal with the Department of Justice...her freedom, in exchange for a much bigger fish. The bigger fish was her ex-husband, Hugo Aragon."_ Peter said.

"_Doesn't ring a bell."_ Neal told him.

"_Hugo ran an underground network of human smuggling, drug trafficking and arms dealing. Quite a trifecta."_ Peter said. _"Anyway, she worked with the FBI to capture Hugo. I was one of the agents who was part of her security detail. __It became my job to be her shadow, to monitor her every move. We all knew the chances of a double-cross...the temptations from her old life were quite obvious. I was there to make sure she doesn't stray too far from the sidewalk or walk off the reservation."_ he explained.

"_Basically, you became her tracking anklet."_ Neal supposed.

"_I didn't just follow her around! I was there to make sure she was safe from any danger!"_ Peter defended himself. He stopped and looked at Neal, as if unsure on whether or not to continue.

"_What happened next, Peter?"_ Neal asked.

"_There was something about her that attracted me. I...I fell for her!" _Peter admitted. _"I couldn't help it! She had so much fire inside of her! I was like a moth to drawn to the flame...I was powerless to resist! Before I knew it, we were sleeping together every chance we had."_ he revealed.

"_You slept with an asset?"_ Neal asked him disbelievingly.

"_It was more than that...it was deeper. I wanted to protect her. I wanted to save her from anything and anyone that wanted to harm her!"_ Peter replied. _"I wanted to be her hero!"_ he continued. _"We were able to keep our relationship a secret for a while...but you know what they say. You can't hide a secret forever."_ he added.

"_Hughes found out."_ Neal deduced.

"_Yes, but by then, we didn't care! We loved each other! I was ready to walk away from everything just to keep her in my life!" _Peter told him. _"The night we finally arrested Hugo, I asked Carol to marry me. God! I was so happy when she said yes!"_ he paused and smiled at the memory.

"_The story didn't end there. Keep going."_ Neal urged him.

"_Hugo was filthy rich and very well-connected. He bought himself a __get-out-of-jail-free card. Once he was out, he went after me to get to Carol...he kidnapped me and held me hostage. She came to rescue me!"_ he said as he shook his head. _"Imagine that! Her, coming to my rescue!"_ he said. _"She tried to negotiate with Hugo into letting me go, but he wouldn't listen to reason! There was a struggle...they fell into the raging water. Hugo ended up killing Carol and himself. And I just stood there, helpless to do anything else, except watch it happen!"_ he told Neal, in a pained voice. He brought his hand to his face and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"_Carol was killed? Peter, I'm so sorry!"_ Neal said.

"_They found Hugo's body, barely recognizable...there was hardly any of him left. They never found Carol though. The theory was that the water ripped her body to shreds. I didn't want to believe it at first, but there was nothing that proved she was still alive."_ Peter lamented.

"_You had to face the sad truth."_ Neal said.

Peter nodded his head. _"After that, I struggled to find a reason to go on."_ he told him. _"Hughes helped me get a transfer here in New York. In return, I did everything I could to prove myself worthy of the second chance. I did my best to forget about everything that happened, and just worked my ass off! Eventually, I moved on with my life and found new happiness. I met and fell in love with Elizabeth. She became my life after we got married."_ he declared.

"_I don't understand, Peter. Has anything changed?"_ Neal asked.

Peter sighed. _"Neal...that woman we saw earlier. The woman in the elevator...she looked exactly like Carol!"_ he told his friend. _"Hughes tried to assure me that it wasn't her...that Carol died fifteen years ago! But something inside me wants to believe otherwise!"_ Peter informed him.

"_You know what they say...everyone has a double. Maybe Carol had a twin sister."_ Neal guessed.

"_No...Carol was an only child."_ Peter told him. _"My gut tells me that there's __something else going on! And I want to know what!"_Peter said frustratedly.

"_What difference does it make, Peter? You're with Elizabeth now! You said it yourself, she became your life after you married her! Finding out the truth about Carol...wouldn't that just be asking to bring trouble that you don't need into your lives?"_ Neal asked him.

"_Are you telling me that if a woman who looked exactly like Kate walked inside that door, you wouldn't want to know the truth? You wouldn't try to find about what really happened to her?"_ Peter returned his question.

"_That's different! I'm not married! You pursue this, what you find out could ruin your life with Elizabeth!"_ Neal protested.

"_I'm not going to leave Elizabeth! God, Neal...NO! I love my wife! You know that! I just want the truth!"_ Peter explained.

"_You are so addicted to the truth, Peter! You want it so bad, it blinds you to everything else! Now, you've already been warned not to pursue this, and yet you still won't let it go!" _Neal told him.

"_I can't let it go!"_ Peter yelled.

"_Yes, you can! You just won't!"_ Neal yelled back. _"Look...if it were me in your shoes right now, you would advise me the same thing!"_ he pointed out.

"_And you probably won't like it either."_ Peter retorted.

"_Yes, but I'd listen to you!" _Neal told him. _"What? Your own rules don't apply to you, Peter?"_ he asked.

"_You know what, Neal? I'm done talking about this with you!"_ Peter told him. _"It's late! You can go!"_ he dismissed Neal.

Neal stood up. _"You may not like it, Peter...but you know I'm right!"_ Neal said before leaving his office.

Peter sat there alone for a while. He tried to take in everything that had happened...every memory that was brought back to his mind...all that was said to him by everyone who knew. He stared at Elizabeth's photo on his desk, and sighed. He brought his hands to his face and rubbed his eyes. It had been a very long and tiring day for him, and his head hurt. He needed to get out of there quickly. He stood up, put his coat on, and left his office.

* * *

><p>As he walked towards the elevators, he noticed a movement in the dark. He wasn't alone. It wasn't one of the janitors, they don't come in till later. Someone else was in there with him. He strained his eyes to see who it was.<p>

"_Who's there? Show yourself!"_ Peter said, putting his guards up.

Slowly, a figure emerged from the darkness. _"Hello, Peter!"_ a voice whispered. A familiar female voice with a Spanish accent. Her face was revealed to confirm Peter's assumption.

"_Carol!"_ Peter gasped, frozen still.

"_No...it's Valerie now. Valerie Vega."_ she told him. _"Carol died a long, long time ago."_ she said.

Peter stood there silent. He tried to speak, but he can't seem to form a coherent sentence inside is brain._ "How?"_ he managed to say, color slowly draining from his face.

"_I think you should sit down...you don't look so good."_ she told him.

They went inside of of the conference rooms and sat a few seats apart. Peter stared at her. His eyes filled with confusion, wanting answers. They sat there in silence, each waiting for the other one to speak. It was Peter who finally spoke first.

"_I thought you died! All these years...I thought you were dead!"_ he told her.

"_For all intents and purposes, Carolina Aragon did die that night."_ she told him, making it sound so clinical.

"_I searched for you!"_ Peter said.

"_I know...I know!"_ she replied. _"I couldn't go back, Peter! Not even for you!"_ she revealed.

"_Why?"_ Peter asked.

"_What happened that night made me realize that we could never live happily ever after!" she answered. "There will always be people from my past who will come after us! There will always be people who will try to keep us apart! Our lives would have been in danger most of the time...we never would have a __moments peace!"_ she explained.

"_Carol-"_ Peter started.

"_Valerie!"_ she corrected him. _"Carol needed __to stay dead! Don't you see? That was the best gift I could ever give you! I gave you your life back!"_ she told him.

"_You were my life!"_ Peter snapped. _"I loved you!"_ he told her.

"_No, Peter! You loved the woman you wanted to turn me into!"_ she snapped back. _"You wanted me to forget about my past and be the kind of woman who only existed in romantic novels!"_ she said. _"And I loved you too, Peter! I loved the way you used to look at me...you made me want to be a better person! For a moment, I actually believed that I could have a better life! But you can't teach old dogs new tricks."_ she told him.

Peter remained silent, so she continued to talk. _"Deep down, you must have __known that things would never have worked out between the two of us! We wouldn't have stayed together in the long run! We were too distinct, Peter! We came from different worlds!"_ she pointed out.

"_I was ready to give up everything just to keep you in my life!"_ Peter reminded her.

"_And you would have resented doing so, in the end! You would have hated me! "_ she replied.

There was a long pause. They tried to keep their emotions in check. Both realized that there was no use rehashing the past. It wouldn't change a thing, since they both had different lives now. Events that happened couldn't be undone. Time can't be rewritten. Peter finally conceded to the fact that what's done was done, and be content that he now knows the truth...he only needed to just accept it. That Valerie was right. Carol was gone...and that he loves Elizabeth now. Nothing else should matter.

Peter broke the silence. _"What's the story of Valerie Vega?"_ he asked.

"_Out of all the great skills I had in the past, there were only two things that I was best at. One was being a thief. The other one was being a survivor. Combine those two together, I was unstoppable. In the end though, there's only so many things you can steal and grifts you can do, before you realize that the thrill was gone!" _she explained.

She continued. _"In due course, everything seemed to lack excitement. So, I searched for new ones. An old friend of mine hooked me up with procurement jobs for various governments. As time went by, I became one of their best freelance operatives. Eventually, the United Nations Security Council convinced me that I have the perfect skill set which they could use in the organization. And I've worked for them ever since." _she concluded.

She looked at Peter straight in the eye. _"As it turns out, you were right about me, Peter! I am a good person. I just needed to take that journey to figure it out for myself!"_ she told him.

"_And look at you now! The Chief of Field Operations of the Logistics Directorate for the United Nations Security Council. Not bad for a jewel thief who grew up in the streets of Madrid!"_ Peter chuckled.

She smiled. _"I'm sorry that I hurt you Peter. And thank you for understanding."_ she told him. Suddenly, she looked at the door and raised her voice._ "Either come in, or get out! If there's anything in this world that I can't stand, it's indecision!"_ she ordered.

The door started to open slowly. Neal came in. _"I was looking for Peter."_ he said. He felt the need to make sure that his friend was alright, so he came back. He didn't count on finding him talking to Valerie.

"_It's alright! We're done here!"_ Valerie told Neal as she stood up from her seat. She nodded to Peter and proceeded to walk towards the door, briefly stopping in front of Neal.

"_Hi! By the way, I'm-"_ Neal tried to introduce himself.

"_Neal Caffrey...I know who you are!"_ she said. She gazed at Peter and then turned to look at Neal again. _"You're in good hands with him."_ she told him. _"I should know...before you came along, I was his pet project!"_ she chuckled, before she headed for the door and left the room, leaving Neal and Peter inside.

* * *

><p>Once she was out, Valerie headed for the nearest elevator. She made her exit out of the FBI building. While heading towards the parking lot, she pulled out the papers that she shoved into her pockets earlier, and began to read them. Then she took her phone out and pressed #3 on speed dial.<p>

"_Persephone?"_ Valerie said. _"Get ready...we're on for tomorrow night!"_ she whispered cryptically, before hanging up.

* * *

><p>~<strong>END OF CHAPTER TWO<strong>~

* * *

><p><strong>FOOTNOTES<strong> :

*Just more insight as to what really happened to Carol/Valerie.

*Kyle Bancroft is Hughes boss...the one who went with Neal to the "White Bored" exhibit. [Prisoner's Dilemma]

*Peter absolutely loves Elizabeth, there was no doubt about that. He just wanted the truth to get some closure.

*Carol was Peter's first Neal Caffrey.

*Hmmm...I wonder who Persephone is?

*Thanks for taking time to read this chapter. If you like it, please feel free to leave a comment.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N** : _Some violence in this chapter...not graphic, but still, I thought you should know_.

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER THREE<strong>

* * *

><p>The next day, the White Collar team were back to usual business. They spent the morning reviewing their current case. They still have nine golden statues that they needed to find. The statues that Erwan Solenn mailed to his office in New York but never quite got there. Peter gathered his team inside the briefing room to discuss the latest information about the case.<p>

"_Okay, let's review. We have four statues reported stolen so far."_ Peter said, looking at the map. _"The first statue was stolen here in a shipping warehouse in __Port Newark Container Terminal in Newark, New Jersey."_ he marked an X at the first location.

He continued. _"The second one was stolen from it's crate inside APM Terminals in Elizabeth, New Jersey."_ he said, as he marked another spot on the map.

"_The third one was stolen at the loading dock of Global Marine Terminal in Jersey City, New Jersey."_ Peter added, before marking the third location.

"_The fourth statue, the latest one, was stolen from the delivery truck at Maher Terminals in Elizabeth, New Jersey."_ Peter said as he marked the fourth location.

Peter turned to Jones. _"Has Port Authority gotten back to us regarding this?"_ he asked him.

"_Yes, sir. They sent us the security tapes and we reviewed them. None of it were helpful. The thief knows how to avoid the cameras."_ Jones answered. Peter turned to Diana.

_"Do we have the files about these statues?" _he asked her.

"_Not yet, boss. But Sterling Bosch is trying to get us that information from Mr. __Solenn as we speak."_ Diana answered.

Erwan Solenn had the golden statues insured through Sterling Bosch. He reported the first statue stolen at the S/B Manhattan office, who in turn, reported the theft to the FBI. Sterling Bosch had been playing middle-man between Solenn and the FBI ever since. So far, four out of nine statues have reached US soil. The remaining five are still in transit, as far as they know.

"_What the hell is so special about these statues?" _Peter asked.

"_Hard to say...only Solenn knows since he's the one who bought it, and he's not exactly being cooperative. All we know is that all nine statues are made of solid gold...that's a good enough reason for a thief to steal it."_ Neal answered.

"_So, we have an art collector who paid loads of money to acquired these statues from abroad. He has them insured once he had them shipped to his office here in Manhattan. Now, it's being stolen one by one before he even gets his hands on it...and he doesn't want the authorities involved? Tell me, does any of this makes sense?" _Peter asked.

"_The only reason I can think of is that he must have obtained the statues illegally. Those statues were probably stolen and Solenn probably bought them through a black market fence."_ Neal replied.

"_Which brings us to the thief. The thief who is always one step ahead. I mean, this guy obviously knows his way around the New York/New Jersey Harbor Port Terminals."_ Peter said.

_"That and the thief knows the right time to strike and where. Sounds a bit suspicious, don't you think?"_ Diana asked.

"_Well, there is one possibility. It's not uncommon for a fence to steal back the stuff he sold. It makes sense...he knows who the buyer is and the location of the merchandize. Makes it easier for him to steal it again."_ Neal stated.

"_We got word from Port Authority that there's another shipment coming in from Eastern Europe tonight in Staten Island. It could be our thief's next stop."_ Jones informed them.

"_Alright, get a team together. We'll stake the place out tonight." _Peter ordered.

* * *

><p><span>NEW YORK CONTAINER TERMINAL, STATEN ISLAND, NY...<span>

That night, Neal, Peter Diana and Jones were inside the municipal van to stake out the terminal, where the thief was believed to strike next. They had a back-up team on standby in the other van, just in case something happens. They waited and waited for the thief to make his move.

* * *

><p>Unbeknownst to them, there was another surveillance van not too far from where they were parked. Only this one didn't have FBI agents inside. This one had Valerie and her UNSC team, who were currently working on an operation.<p>

"_Switching on thermals."_ Agent Cohen, one of the UNSC agents informed Valerie. _"Images should be up in a few."_ he added.

"_Alright...let me know what shows up." _Valerie ordered. She turned to the female agent, Agent Calvin. _"Check again if the audios are operational, just to be sure."_ she told the agent.

"_Chief! You need to see this!" _Agent Cohen caught her attention. Valerie looked at the screen and saw the thermal images.

"_Are those what I think they are?" _Valerie asked. Agent Cohen nodded. _"Damn it!"_ she cursed.

"_Ma'am?"_ Agent Calvin called her over. _"It seems that we're catching static on our audios!"_ she said. _"Something is interfering with our signal!"_ she informed Valerie.

Valerie cursed again. She took the mic and spoke. _"Persephone? Persephone? Do you read me? Abort! There are too many unfriendlies! I repeat...Abort the mission!"_ she ordered. There was no answer...only static on the other end.

* * *

><p>Back in the municipal van Peter, Neal, Jones and Dina continued to monitor the area for anything out of the ordinary.<p>

"_Hey, guys!"_ Diana said. _"I'm picking up something!"_ she told the rest.

"_Alright...put it on speaker." _Peter ordered.

Diana took off her headset and turn the speaker on. They strained to hear the message through the static noise.

"_Persephone? Persephone? Do you read me? Abort! There are too many unfriendlies! I repeat...Abort the mission!"_ said the voice on the other end.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Alex Hunter was inside the terminal, awaiting for further instructions. She was wearing her usual black leather cat burglar suit and combat boots. Her hair was tied into a high ponytail braid and her hands have black gloves on. She had the black bag that carried the recovered merchandize.<p>

She pressed on the button of her comlink's earpiece. It wasn't working. All she could hear from the other end was static noise. She took the earpiece off and put it in her pocket. Sensing danger, she immediately decided to leave the terminal.

On her way out, she ran into a group of dock workers. They were longshoremen who had just finished a shift of unloading cargo, and were now having drinks with some of the security guards and getting drunk inside the loading dock. They looked and noticed Alex.

"_Hey there, baby! Looking for some fun?"_ one of the dock workers said, his speech slurring.

"_No, actually, I took a wrong turn. I was just leaving." _Alex answered.

"_Come on now! Don't leave so soon!"_ another one told her.

"_Yeah! Stay! We'll make it worth your while!"_ the other one shouted.

"_My boys and I...we just wanna dance with you!"_ said the other man, which Alex assumed was the boss.

The boss blocked her exit, keeping her from leaving. The boss then tried to grab Alex, but she quickly swatted his hands away.

"_Oh! She's a feisty one, boss!"_ one of the men said.

_"We should teach her a lesson!"_ he added.

Alex knew she was in trouble. What's worse is that there was no way to contact the rest of the team. It was all up to her.

"_Alright, boys! You wanna dance? Let's dance!"_ Alex told them, as she put the bag down and kicked it into a corner.

What took place next happened very fast. Alex strode towards two of the drunks and assumed a fighting stance. She slammed her foot into Drunk#1's face, then whipped the same foot back into Drunk#2, knocking the two unconscious, while the other thugs stood up from their seats to help their friends.

It then registered to them that Alex needed to be taken as a serious threat. It didn't take long before they all had her surrounded. Alex kicked the table into Drunk#3. In the process, she swiped a beer bottle off of it. She whipped the bottle around and hit Drunk#3 behind her square in the face, without her even looking at the man.

The fight escalated, as more drunken dock workers came at Alex. She took out a group of four, Drunks #4 - #7, using high kicks with perfect precision. Two more drunks came at her from both sides; Drunk#8 whipped out a knife. Alex did a perfect split, then grabbed his wrist from above her head, using his momentum to stab Drunk#9 in the thigh.

The Drunk Boss watched in shock as he saw his men fall one by one. Drunk#7 recovered and came at Alex with a shock rod. She wrests the shock rod from the goon and used it on him. Alex saw Drunk#6 bolting and she hurled the rod at the guy and hit his head, knocking him out cold.

Alex moved very quickly, as she did her best to fight the men. She was determined to come out as the last one standing. She used anything inside the warehouse that she could get her hands on as a weapon to take out every single drunk in her way. She noticed Drunk#5 from earlier, now hiding behind the wall. She swung her leg around the corner and nailed his face with a kick.

Suddenly, a huge man, Drunk#10, grabbed her from behind in a bodylock hold. She grabbed his crotch and squeezed. Drunk#10 screamed in pain and loosened his grip on her. She spun around to face him. The, she flattened the big man's nose with the heel of her palm. She twirled into a gut kick that sent Drunk#10 to double over. She got a hold of a small table and smashed it on the guy's head.

Just then, Drunk#4 was back, now armed. He cocked his gun and pointed it at Alex. She quickly grabbed his hand and snapped his elbow, causing him to scream out in pain before he even shot himself in the foot. The Drunk Boss frantically wrests a gun from one of his unconscious men, as Alex kicked Drunk#4's gun into the air, then catches it. She whipped the gun around just as the Drunk Boss raised his. Now both of them had their guns pointed right at each others' heads.

Just then, the FBI bursts in, an agent fired a warning shot, which startled them both.

"_Freeze! Federal agents! Put your hands up!" _the agents warned. Both the Drunk Boss and Alex dropped their weapons and held their hands up in the air.

Agents secured the area and took away their weapons. One of the agents grabbed the Drunk Boss, cuffed him and led him away. While other FBI agents surveyed the area and the number of casualties, Peter Burke, Neal Caffrey, Clinton Jones and Diana Barrigan strolled over to talk to Alex.

"_Alex, what do you have to say for yourself?" _Peter asked her.

"_This PMS thing is murder!"_ Alex replied in a mock tone.

"_Alex!"_ Neal warned her.

"_Alright! You wanna really play it like that?"_ Peter said. He turned to Diana. _"Arrest her!"_ he ordered.

Diana obeyed. _"Alexandra Hunter, you are under arrest. __You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to speak to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you. Do you understand these rights as they have been read to you?"_ said Diana.

Alex remained silent as Agent Jones cuffed her, but it was obvious she was smiling, practically struggling not to laugh.

"_Alex, you've just been arrested by the FBI! Why are you smiling?"_ Neal asked her.

"_Well, you know me, Caffrey! The riskier it gets, the more I love it!" _Alex answered.

"_Okay, let me just say that again! YOU have just been ARRESTED by the FBI!"_ Neal repeated, very much worried.

In all the commotion, no one noticed the UNSC team enter the warehouse, led by Valerie Vega. Chief Vega flashed the FBI agents her credentials, then walked towards Burke's team, who looked very surprised at their presence.

"_Actually, Mr. Caffrey, no she hasn't been!"_ she said. She turned, now facing Peter. _"She is one of my operatives. She plays a vital role in this investigation. Now, let her go!"_ she commanded.

Peter looked at her, and then Alex, then returned his gaze back to her. _"What the hell is going on here?"_ Peter asked, very much confused.

"_You just impeded on a very critical UNSC operation, Special Agent Burke! That is what's going on!"_ Valerie told him.

"_We are here to investigate our own case, Chief Vega! This terminal was a target of a thief that we were in pursuit of tonight. Your 'operative', dressed in her cat burglar suit, was witnessed trying to escape a possible crime scene, beating up the dock workers on her way out! Correct me if I'm wrong but that makes her our prime suspect!"_ was Peter's caustic reply.

"_You're wrong! That was me correcting you!" _Valerie told him. Peter's cellphone suddenly rang. _"That would be A.D. Bancroft!"_ she informed him.

"_Peter Burke."_ Peter answered his phone. He listened for a moment. _"Yes, sir."_ he replied, followed by a pause. _"Yes, sir."_ he said again, followed by yet another pause. _"I understand, sir."_ he said frustratedly, before he hung up.

Peter turned to the two teams in front of him. _"Assistant Director Bancroft just verified Chief Vega's story."_ he informed everyone. He turned to Valerie._ " He sends his sincere apologies with regards to the confusion. He also would like to request yours and your team's presence at tomorrow's briefing at the FBI office."_ he concluded.

"_My team and I will be there tomorrow morning, Agent Burke. You have my word. Thank you very much."_ Valerie said. She then turned to face Alex. _"You may take the handcuffs off now!" _she ordered.

Agent Jones was about to uncuff her. But before he had a chance to do so, Alex had already picked the locks of the handcuffs that bound her wrists. She turned to face Diana.

"_Maybe some other time, Pant Suit!"_ Alex said. She winked as she returned the handcuffs back to the FBI agent. She then walk towards the corner where she kicked the bag earlier. She retrieved it and proceeded to join Valerie and stood by her side.

"_What's in the bag, Alex?" _Peter asked her.

"_A kilo of blow."_ Alex replied nonchalantly.

Valerie looked at her. _"That's enough!"_ she warned Alex. _"The van is right outside...GO!"_ she told her.

With a smug smile on her face, she nodded her head at Valerie. She then turned around and walked past Caffrey. She proceeded to leave the warehouse, followed by the rest of the other UNSC agents, leaving Valerie alone to deal with the FBI.

Valerie looked at Peter. _"It's regrettable that our teams had to meet amidst all the confusion."_ she said. She turned to the rest of his team. _"I appreciate the cooperation. Have a good night."_ she told them, before walking away to join her team.

Peter turned to face Neal. _"What the hell just happened here?" _he asked, with a very confused look on his face.

* * *

><p>~<strong>END OF CHAPTER THREE<strong>~

* * *

><p><strong>Footnotes<strong> :

*I just wanted to write a fight scene involving Alex.

*Every once in a while, the (fictional) UNSC Logistics Directorate uses thieves (like Alex and her crew) as operatives to do their dirty work for them. [Strasbourg]

*I like to write how Alex just walks in and out of Neal's life, catching him off-guard almost everytime.

*Thank you for taking time to read this chapter. If you like it, please feel free to leave a comment.


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER FOUR**

* * *

><p>The next day, the members of the White Collar Unit, along with their superiors, waited for the arrival of the UNSC team in to their office. Some of Chief Vega's agents were already there. The only people who are yet to turn up were Valerie and Alex.<p>

"_Do you have an ETA on when your boss will be arriving?"_ Peter asked irritatedly to Agent Cohen, one of the UNSC agents he met previous night.

"_They should be here soon, Agent Burke."_ Agent Cohen assured him.

"_I really hope that this isn't just a huge waste of our time!"_ Agent Hughes told Cohen.

"_I assure you, sir, it is not."_ Cohen replied.

* * *

><p>Valerie and Alex just stepped inside the elevator, on their way up to the 21st floor of the FBI Field Office. Valerie flipped through the files they had collected, refreshing her memory regarding the information about the statues. Alex just watched her friend, trying to gauge Valerie's mood.<p>

"_You read that thing a thousand times since you first got it. Surely, you have it memorized by now!"_ Alex quipped, as she snatched the files from Valerie's hands._ "Tell me something Val...are you nervous?"_ she asked.

"_Nervous? About what?"_ Valerie said.

"_You know...about working with Peter Burke."_ Alex answered.

"_No, I'm not nervous about working with Peter..."_ Valerie told her. _"It's just that some of the people here knew me when I was a different person. It'll be hard to get them to trust me, let alone respect me as a superior! As much as I hate to admit it, I have a lot to prove."_ she explained.

"_Oh, come on! This can't be you talking! What happened to ball-busting __Valerie?"_ Alex said with a smile. "_Just keep your chin up, Val! You have worked damn hard to get where you are! What these people think of you doesn't matter!"_ she told her friend. _"And if anybody even tries to knock you down, I got your back!"_ she assured her.

"_Good to know!"_ Valerie replied. _"Just so you know, I got your back too!"_ she told her friend. _"Thick as thieves, remember?"_ she said.

"_Thick as thieves!"_ Alex replied. She looked at Valerie, and was glad to see her more relaxed. _"So...tell me about you and Burke."_ she asked.

"_I already told you about me and Burke!"_ Valerie answered.

"_You told me the sanitized version!" _Alex said with an impish grin. _"I'm just curious...what was the action like between the sheets?"_ Alex asked naughtily.

Valerie looked at her and returned her smile. _"It rocked!"_ she replied with a chuckle.

Just then, the elevator doors opened. The two stepped out and set foot inside the White Collar office.

* * *

><p><em>"Finally!"<em> Peter said once he saw who just go out of the elevators.

Neal followed his glance and saw Valerie and Alex headed towards them. His attention was focused mostly on Alex. She looked different...more professional. She was wearing a dark gray two-piece three button pant suit as opposed to the cat burglar suit she wore the previous night. Her hair was pulled back into a half pony tail, the rest of her hair cascading down to her shoulders, making her appearance seem less aggressive. Neal had always admired Alex's ability to make herself fit into any kind of environment. He watched from a few paces behind, as the two women approached Peter and Hughes.

"_Nice of the two of you to finally grace us with your presence!"_ Hughes said sarcastically.

"_Agent Hughes! It's been a while!"_ Valerie greeted the man who pursued her years ago.

"_You said you'd be here this morning! It's almost eleven o'clock!"_ Peter told her.

"_Eleven o'clock is still morning, Peter!"_ Valerie replied. _"But you're right! Let's not waste any more of each others' time. Shall we proceed?"_ she said.

"_Not here."_ Hughes told her. _"Apparently, A.D. Bancroft and a couple of other senior agents would like to be in on this briefing."_ he said as he pointed to the glass window of the conference room where Bancroft and the rest were waiting.

"_That would be fine. Let's go."_ Valerie said.

"_One more thing..."_ Peter added. _"They just would like to talk to YOU for now."_ he told her, as he looked at Alex.

"_I can take a hint."_ Alex replied. _"I'll stay here with the rest."_ she told Valerie, then she gave her an encouraging wink.

Valerie nodded, then went with Peter and Hughes to the conference room. Alex, on the other hand, looked for a better view where she could watch what was going on. She found a spot by Jones' desk. Moments later, she was joined by Neal, who stood next to her.

"_Hey, Alex!"_ Neal greeted.

"_Hey."_ she replied, without taking her eyes away from the conference room.

"_How are you?"_ Neal asked.

"_Fine."_ Alex replied, still not looking at him.

"_We really need to talk."_ Neal told her.

"_No, we really don't."_ Alex answered while she watched.

"_Are you're just going to ignore me the entire time you're here?"_ Neal asked her.

"_I'm not ignoring you, Neal! I'm talking to you without looking at you! There's a distinction!"_ she said, as she watched.

Neal was about to say something when a female UNSC agent approached Alex.

"_Hunter, these came in for you, earlier."_ she said, as she handed Alex a folder.

"_Thanks, Calvin!"_ Alex said, after taking the file from the agent.

"_So...are you like Chief Vega's CI?"_ Neal asked Alex after Agent Calvin walked away.

"_Not exactly, no."_ Alex answered.

"_What's the difference?"_ Neal asked again.

"_I get paid more."_ Alex answered flatly.

"_Look, Alex...if this is about money, I can-"_ Neal started to tell her.

"_I don't want YOUR money, Caffrey!"_ Alex interrupted him. _"I don't want anything from you!" _she added.

They were once again interrupted, this time, by Jones, Diana and Agent Cohen.

"_We'll get that video eventually...you'll see!"_ Agent Cohen told Jones.

"_Not if our boss have anything to say about it, you won't!"_ Agent Jones replied.

"_What video?"_ Alex asked.

"_There's a video of you taken by a security camera from the warehouse last night. You know, the one with you beating up a dozen dock workers and security guards. We're keeping the video as evidence."_ Diana replied.

"_I'm not worried."_ Alex told her, then turned her gaze back at the conference room.

"_I hate to tell you that our boss is better than your boss...but our boss is better than your boss!" _Cohen told Diana.

Diana scoffed and walked away. She was then followed by Agent Cohen, leaving Jones by his desk, along with Neal and Alex. He noticed the uncomfortable silence.

"_So...Alex! That was some wicked moves you showed last night!"_ Jones said, trying to break the ice.

"_Yeah, you didn't think I could do that, did you? How you like me now?"_ she asked.

Jones laughed._ "Caffrey never told us that you have some pretty cool ninja skills." _he said.

"_Caffrey doesn't know everything about me, Agent Jones."_ Alex replied. _"I live to surprise people!"_ she told them.

"_You got that right!"_ Neal muttered under his breath, earning a glare from Alex.

Alex turned her gaze back to the conference room. She observed everyone inside and noticed that Peter and Valerie seemed to be having an argument in front of the senior agents.

"_Give 'em hell, Val!"_ Alex chuckled. She turned to face the others. _"This may take a while...you guys have any popcorn?"_ she asked.

Agent Jones grabbed a bag from his desk. _"I got chips."_ he offered, as he joined Alex in watching the conference room drama. Neal just looked at them and shook his head.

"_Mommy and Daddy are fighting!" _Alex joked.

"_Whoa, they're really going at it!"_ Jones said. _"What just happened there?"_ he asked.

"_My lip-reading maybe a bit rusty, but I think my boss just called your boss a __man-whore!" _Alex replied.

"_Yeah...you're lip-reading's a bit rusty!"_ Neal told her.

Just then, Valerie stormed out of the conference room, followed by Peter.

"_You just made me look stupid in front of my superiors!" _Peter told her. _"We disapprove of actions like that where I come from!"_ he said.

"_Oh really? Where I come from, we encourage it!"_ Valerie shot back.

Alex cleared her throat to catch their attention. _"Hate to break the love fest, you guys, but people are starting to stare."_ she pointed out, as the rest of the other agents started to gather near them.

That made Valerie and Peter shut up, but still continued to glare at each other.

Alex turned to her friend. _"So, when can we leave?"_ she asked Valerie.

"_Unfortunately, not any time soon! We've been asked to work along side the FBI with this investigation. I agreed, but only because A.D. Bancroft asked me politely."_ Valerie informed her team, all the while glaring at Peter.

"_Duly noted."_ Peter replied, before turning to Jones. _"Jones, if you could please show Chief Vega's team the way to the briefing room."_ he said.

Jones did as he was told and motioned the UNSC agents to follow him. Peter noticed that Alex and Valerie weren't moving. Alex was whispering something in the chief's ear.

"_Any time now would be great!"_ Peter told them.

"_Agent Burke, we will be there at our own convenience!"_ Valerie replied. Once they were done, they made their way to the briefing room.

* * *

><p>At the briefing room, all the agents of both teams were gathered and sat at a long table. The UNSC team on one side, the FBI on the other. Peter sat at one end of the table, while Valerie sat at the opposite end.<p>

"_First things first, Agent Burke. As a gesture of good faith, I need you to do something for me. It has come to my attention that you are in possession of a surveillance footage of my operative from last night's encounter. We'd like to have that tape. I insist."_ Valerie demanded.

Peter looked at Diana and nodded his head. Diana then left the room. When she came back, she handed the tape to Agent Cohen, who gave her

a smug I-told-you-so kind of grin.

"_For your own sake, I hope you didn't keep any copies."_ Valerie told Peter.

"_Is that a threat?"_ Peter asked.

"_No, it's a warning!"_ Valerie replied. _"Let's start, shall we?"_ she said.

Peter began the briefing by talking about how they were contacted by Sterling Bosch about a missing statue that belong to a wealthy art collector named Erwan Solenn. He mentioned Solenn's lack of cooperation regarding the matter, and their speculations as to why. He told them about the missing statues that appeared to be stolen before it was delivered to Solenn. He made sure to look at Alex while he talked about the thief. He continued to talk about everything they knew about the case, leading up to the events that happened the night before.

"_Your turn to share."_ Peter told Valerie once he was done talking.

Valerie looked at Alex and nodded her head. Alex, in turn, passed out folders containing photos of the golden statues. Photos that the FBI have never seen before until now.

"_What you have there are the photos of the Nine Statues of the Great Ennead of Heliopolis."_ Valerie began.

"_The Great Ennead? What's that?" _Peter asked.

"_It's a collection of the nine most powerful Deities from Ancient Egyptian mythology."_ It was Alex who answered. _"The ones that are marked with a star are the ones that we have in our possession."_ she added.

"_Basically, you're admitting that you stole those statues!"_ Peter pointed out. _"Why would you do that, Alex?"_ he asked.

"_Because I asked her to." Valerie answered. "The UNSC needed to recover the statues in question. Alex had the knowledge of their history, the contacts to find their location and the skills to retrieve them."_ she explained. She urged Alex to continue.

"_The first photo is the statue of Shu, the god of air." _Alex stated, as the rest looked at the photo of a man wearing a headdress with tall plumage resting of his head.

"_The second photo is the statue of Tefnut, the goddess of moisture, dew and rain."_ Alex continued referring to the photo of a goddess with the head of a lioness sitting on her throne.

"_The third photo is the statue of Geb, the god of the earth."_ Alex said, referring to the statue of a man wearing a crown with a goose on top.

"_The fourth photo is the statue of Nuit, goddess of the sky."_ Alex continued, referring to the statue of a woman wearing no clothes, her body covered with stars. "

_The fifth photo is the one I retrieved last night...the statue of Osiris, god of the afterlife and the underworld."_ she said as she showed the photo of a statue wearing a crown of plume feathers, holding the crook and flail on each hand.

Alex then looked at the people in the room. _"That's all the statues we have __for the time being. We're still awaiting for further information regarding the rest."_ she informed the group.

Peter looked at Alex and ther turned his gaze to Valerie. _"Alright. We know that these statues are of great value and importance. What I want to know is...what does the United Nations Security Council want with it? You're doing everything to make sure you get your hand on these statues...I want to know why?"_ Peter asked.

"_That's another story for another time, Agent Burke."_ Valerie answered.

"_Oh no! We're not leaving this room until you share with us why these statues are so important to the UNSC!"_ Peter declared.

"_It's not up to you to decide that, Peter!"_ Valerie told him.

"_Oh, yes, it is!"_ Peter replied.

Valerie started to lose her patience again. _"I beg to differ, Agent Burke! You see, I am the Chief of Field Operations of the Logistics Directorate of the United Nations Security Council. I have the diplomatic rank of a five-star general and have the numbers of the direct line to your President, as well as the UN Secretary General on my phone's speed dial. I hate to burst your bubble, but you have to understand that I'm the one in charge here, and not you. I will decide if and when to share the significance of the statues! That information is confidential...strictly on a need-to-know basis, and right now, you don't need to know!"_ she snapped.

Valerie then looked at every person in that room. _"That will be all for now! Class dismissed!"_ she ordered, as she, Alex and the rest of their team stood up and left the briefing room.

* * *

><p>~<strong>END OF CHAPTER FOUR<strong>~

* * *

><p><strong>Footnotes<strong> :

*I wanted to elaborate on the friendship between Valerie and Alex.

*Being a mythology buff, I wanted to add the Great Ennead in one of my stories for a while now.

*Thanks for reading this chapter. If you like it, please feel free to leave a comment.


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER FIVE**

* * *

><p>Neal woke up to a start in his apartment the next day, with a slight headache that lingered from the night before. He had almost overslept and was grateful to the whoever was responsible for the persistent knocking on his door, which roused him. He got out of bed and hurriedly opened the door to find out who it was.<p>

"_Put a blouse on Tarzan Boy!"_ Mozzie teasingly greeted him, before he entered the apartment.

It was only then that Neal realized that he was clad with only the animal print boxer shorts that Sara gave him as a gag gift a few weeks ago.

"_Well, hello to you too, Moz!" _Neal replied, while put his robe on.

"_You don't look too good." _Mozzie observed.

"_I'm a little bit in pain at the moment." _Neal answered.

"_In the heart, or in the head?" _Mozzie asked, giving Neal a quizzical look. _"I know that Alex is in town."_ he told his friend.

"_Wait...how?"_ Neal asked.

"_I had dinner with her last night."_ Mozzie told him.

"_Hold on...she had dinner with you? She wouldn't even speak six words to me!"_ Neal protested. _"What did she say?"_ he asked.

"_She inquired about an old contact of ours from Central Eurasia. I wasn't too much of a help though, our contact died a couple of years ago."_ Mozzie answered.

"_What else?"_ Neal pressed, more interested with other matters.

"_Oh, you mean if she talked about my little nephew? No, she didn't. Well...I asked about him. All she said that he was fine and growing up too fast. It was understandable that she didn't talked about the boy that much, knowing I'll just report it back to you!"_ Mozzie told him.

Neal rubbed his face in frustration. _"I don't know what to do, Moz!"_ he said. _"I tried to talk to her, but she did her damn best to avoid me. We're right there, in the same building, in the same room, and I couldn't have a decent conversation with her!"_ he said, exasperated.

"_Does the Suit know about Nicholas, by any chance?"_ Mozzie asked him.

"_No."_ Neal shook his head. _"Alex didn't want me to tell him. Understandably so...besides, I'm not really sure I'm ready to tell Peter just yet!"_ he answered. _"Back to Alex, we need a plan."_ Neal told him.

"_I don't know, Neal. As much as I hate to admit it...Alex is holding all the cards right now. You push her, you might not have any chance to see your son at all. __Do I need to remind you how good Alex is with her disappearing acts?"_ Mozzie said. _"The best thing to do right now is to wait for her to soften up. You of all people would know how to do that!"_ he advised.

"_I can't even get near her!" _Neal told him.

"_Oh, you'll find a way...you always do!"_ Mozzie reassured him. _"Look, she's angry with you right now, yes. But, sooner or later, she'll realize that her son needs a father. She can't deny him that."_ he added.

"_I hope you're right, Moz!"_ Neal said.

"_Cheer up! You and Neal Jr. will see each other again!"_ Mozzie told him.

That brought a smile on Neal's face. _"Neal Jr."_ he chuckled. _"I like that!"_ he said. _"I just want to be with my son, Moz! Make up for the time we lost!"_ he told him.

"_And Alex?"_ Mozzie asked.

"_I'm confused on how I feel about her. I care about her, yes! Lord knows, I've been wildly attracted to her! I mean, she's the mother of my kid, Moz! But anything beyond that...I don't know! I'm still addled, between trying to process Kate's death, and then this casual thing I have with Sara. But there's this part of me that doesn't want to let Alex go!"_ Neal tried to explain.

"_I understand._" Mozzie said. _"Having a child with someone...it's a lot like Hotel California." _he added.

"_Come again?"_ Neal asked, puzzled on what he said.

"_You know...Hotel California! You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave!" _Mozzie explained. _"Let's face it...there's a huge chance that you and Alex might not end up being together in the future! But because of Nicholas, the two of you are bound together for all eternity, no matter who the two of you end up with!"_ Mozzie added.

"_Okay...you're starting to make my head hurt more! And I need to get ready for work!"_ Neal told him. _"Oh, and Moz...thank you! I appreciate everything you've done!"_ he told his friend.

"_You're most welcome, mon frère!"_ Mozzie replied with a smile.

* * *

><p>Later that morning, Neal and Peter arrived together at the office. Peter noticed that his younger friend was not his usual cheerful self.<p>

"_You okay, Neal?"_ Peter asked.

"_Yeah, fine."_ was Neal's flat answer, as he went immediately went to his desk.

Peter followed him. _"Is this about Alex?"_ Peter pressed.

"_Is 'what' about Alex? I told you I'm fine."_ Neal insisted.

"_Come on. Don't give me that! I know something's bothering you. The only obvious reason is your fence."_ Peter pressed.

"_She's not my fence Peter! She's my..."_ Neal paused and took a breath. _"Alex is my friend, and yes, I'm worried about her! There...satisfied?"_ he answered.

"_Alex is a big girl, Neal! I think she knew what she was getting into when she took this job from Chief Vega."_ Peter told him. _"Listen, I'm saying this as your friend...I think it's time you that you forget about her. She's nothing but trouble. She doesn't know her limits and I'm afraid that she has no problem dragging you along with her."_ Peter advised him.

"_Being a little too 'preachy'__, don't you think? You criticize my relationship with Alex, when you've been known to associate yourself with a female asset who happened to be a thief!"_ Neal reminded him.

"_That happened a long time ago! And look at how it ended! I just don't want you to get hurt, that's all!"_ Peter told him. _"And what about Sara? I thought you were making headway with her? Wouldn't it be unfair for her if you continue to pursue Alex?"_ he pointed out.

"_Sara...right. That would make your life a lot easier, won't it? Date the good girl, settle down..." _Neal answered.

"_It was YOUR idea to go out with her, Neal! I didn't ask you to do it! You did that all on your own!"_ Peter told him. _"Now tell me, do you have feelings for Alex"_ he asked.

"_Alex and I, we have history together. Not something that you'd like or approve of, but it happened. It's hard enough to try and move forward with my life after Kate's death, without subjecting the people I care about to have to feel the need to measure up to your standards, Peter!" _Neal replied.

"_You said it yourself, Neal! 'Move forward'! Allowing Alex back into your life...it's __a major step backwards! You have made so much progress with your life, solving cases with the FBI. You have helped a lot of people-"_ Peter tried to convince him.

"_And you think that being with Alex would be detrimental to me doing my job? You make her sound so immoral!"_ Neal defended Alex.

"_Hey, if the shoe fits..."_ Peter retorted.

"_Stop this! Stop this now! What I do with my life...the choices I make, is my business!"_ Neal snapped back.

"_I can't let you make that mistake, Neal!"_ Peter said.

"_It's MY mistake to make!"_ Neal answered.

Just then, Diana and Jones approached them and greeted them good morning. Neal and Peter halted their conversation and greeted them in return.

"_So...any news on when the UNSC team will get back to us?"_ Peter asked.

"_Actually, Boss, they're already here!"_ Diana told him.

"_Yeah, they got here about an hour ago. Bancroft had them set up shop in one of our conference rooms as their office."_ Jones added.

"_Which room?"_ Peter asked.

"_Conference room 3."_ Diana replied.

Peter looked at Neal, before he proceeded to go to the conference room. Neal followed him not too far behind. They arrived at the room and peaked through the glass window. Sure enough, they saw UNSC team inside. Alex was talking to someone on her phone, while the rest were busy looking at files and typing on their laptops. Then, they noticed Valerie speaking with two men in suits.

"_Who are those two?"_ Neal asked.

"_The one to her left is Special Agent Gordon Davies, head of Counter Terrorism Division. The other one is Special Agent Stephen Gardner, head of Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate."_ Peter answered.

"_Why would Valerie be talking to them?"_ Neal asked again.

"_I don't know! This case keeps getting weirder by the minute!"_ Peter replied.

* * *

><p>Later that day, Valerie knocked at Peter's office.<p>

"_Come in."_ Peter said.

"_Is this a good time to talk?"_ Valerie asked.

"_Yes sure! Please, sit down!"_ Peter said.

Valerie sat down, but before she had a chance to talk, there was an abrupt knock of the door. A few seconds later, Sara Ellis came inside.

"_Hello, Peter! Sorry to barge in like this! I have a thing for you!" _Sara said, out of breath. She looked around in the office _"Where's Neal?"_ she asked.

"_He's not here."_ Peter answered. _"I'm a bit busy right now, Sara. Can't this wait?"_ Peter asked politely.

"_Oh believe me, you'd want to see this!"_ Sara insisted. She heard Valerie clear her throat. _"I'm sorry! I'm being rude! Sara Ellis."_ she introduced herself, her hand outstretched for a handshake.

"_Valerie Vega."_ she said as she shook Sara's hand. _"Are you an FBI agent?"_ Valerie asked, looking at her attire.

"_No, I'm an insurance investigator for Sterling Bosch! But I work with the FBI from time to time."_ Sara answered.

"_But you're NOT an FBI agent. They just let you waltz in and out of this place at you're convenience?"_ Valerie asked.

Sara seemed offended at the question. _"Is that a problem? Like I said, I work with them from time to time. Frankly, I don't appreciate your tone!"_ she told Valerie.

"_Oh, you have a lot more to detest than just my tone."_ Valerie said.

"_I don't have time to deal with you right now!"_ Sara told her. She turned to Peter. _"I have one of the statues!"_ she announced. She noticed that Valerie was still there. _"Excuse me, this conversation is private! Can you please leave us?" _Sara asked her.

"_If this is about the Erwan Solenn's Golden Statues, then I have every right to be here."_ Valerie informed her.

Peter pinched the bridge of his nose, irritated that he was now caught in between the two sparring women. _"Sara...Chief Vega is from the UNSC Logistics Directorate. She and her team are working with us on this investigation."_ Peter told her.

"_UNSC?"_ Sara said, looking puzzled.

"_That would be the United Nations Security Council, dear."_ Valerie quipped.

"_Yes, I know what it stands for, thank you very much!" _Sara told her. _"What I mean is why would the UNSC be involved with this case? What would you people possibly want with a statue?"_ she asked Valerie.

"_Because those statues are more than just a statue, Miss Ellis."_ Valerie answered.

Just then, there was another knock on Peter's door.

"_Come in! PLEASE!"_ Peter said.

Neal poked his head in. _"Peter, do you have a minute?"_ he asked. Then he saw Sara. _"Sara...what are you doing here?"_ he asked her, surprised, as he entered Peter's office.

"_I'm here to see you!"_ Sara answered.

"_Actually, you said you have a thing for Peter!"_ Valerie meddled, earning a glare from Sara.

"_I came here to show you something." _Sara said as she took out a package with a big black pouch inside from her bag. She opened it and revealed a golden statue. _"I have one of the statues!"_ she announced. Then she noticed someone else behind Neal. _"Alex!"_ she said, sounding a bit dismayed.

"_Sara."_ Alex answered, nodding her head.

"_You two know each other?"_ Valerie asked.

"_Oh yeah...they know each other, alright!"_ Peter replied.

"_Riiight!"_ Valerie said, taking the hint.

Sara glared at her again. Valerie glared back, before she spoke. _"I hope you don't have anything planned for the rest of the day, Miss Ellis. I have a few questions that I'd like to ask you!"_ she told her.

* * *

><p>~<strong>END OF CHAPTER 5<strong>~

* * *

><p><strong>Footnotes<strong> :

*Thought I'd include Mozzie in this chapter.

*Let's face it, Sara does have a habit of walking into the FBI office unannounced.

*I promise, I'd reveal the significance of the statues next chapter.

*Thank you for taking the time to read this chapter. If you like it, please feel free to leave a comment.


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER SIX**

* * *

><p>Valerie and Alex stood outside conference room # 3 as they waited for the rest to arrive. The two women seemed to be in disagreement on how Valerie handled the Sara situation. Alex admonished her friend towards her spiteful behaviour earlier at Peter's office.<p>

"_Are you not at all worried that I'm being the voice of reason here for a change, instead of you? Cause really, that kinda scares me!"_ Alex half-teased her friend.

"_I know that you think that it's petty and immature, but you weren't there! That woman wasn't without fault in this matter!"_ Valerie defended herself. _"Quite frankly, I'm surprised that you can tolerate her!"_ she added.

"_That's because I don't know her well enough to like her, or hate her, or be indifferent to her."_ Alex answered.

"_Well, in that case, you're a better person than I am, Alex Hunter. Just for that that, you get to babysit her while I wait for the others." _Valerie told her.

Alex rolled her eyes. She knew that there was no point arguing with Valerie. She followed what Valerie said and entered the conference room.

* * *

><p>Once inside, she saw an antsy Sara pacing in the room.<p>

"_There you are! Any chance that we can start this thing now and get it over with. I have better things to do than this!"_ Sara complained.

"_That's not really up to me, Sara."_ Alex politely answered, as she sat on one of the chairs. _"There are some questions that you need to answer, and I imagine that they won't let you leave until they're satisfied."_ she told her.

Sara's expression softened, surprised that Alex was actually being civil to her in spite of the way she acted earlier. She observed Alex, who was inspecting the statue that Sara turned in. She felt a twinge of jealousy when she remembered seeing Neal with her earlier.

"_Alex, tell me the truth...is there something going on between you and Neal?"_ Sara asked her. _"I mean, are you two...together?"_ she pressed.

"_Sara, I can tell you in all honesty...Neal and I are not together."_ Alex replied.

"_Don't get me wrong! Neal already made things perfectly clear that he doesn't want to rush into anything serious, and that what we have is just purely casual. I'm mature enough to understand that, considering what he's just been through with Kate. But I am interested to move forward with him, and I can't do that with you in the picture."_ Sara explained. _"I know that the two of you have a long and complicated history together. That's why I would like to know if you two are involved. Cause if you are, I'll back off! I'm not a thief!"_ she added.

"_And I am...is that it?"_ Alex asked calmly.

"_That's not what I meant!"_ Sara protested.

"_You know what, Sara? I already answered your question. Anything else that you feel that you need to discuss about the matter, you should discuss them with Neal, not me." _Alex answered. She took a deep breath before continuing. _"I really think that we should stop talking right now, before we both say something that we'd both regret."_ she said, before going back to inspecting the statue.

* * *

><p>Outside the room, Valerie saw Peter and Neal in the hallway. Both of them had a displeased look on their faces as they approached her.<p>

Peter spoke first. _"Is Sara in there?"_ he asked.

"_Yes, she's in there. Alex is keeping her company. Don't worry, I've removed all the sharp objects in the vicinity."_ Valerie answered.

"_You can't keep her in here."_ Neal said.

"_She wouldn't be in this mess if she just let the authorities handled this."_ Valerie told him.

"_Cut her some slack. She gave us the lead that we needed."_ Neal defended Sara.

"_So what? That justifies your girlfriend's right to play Scooby-Doo detective on her free time?"_ Valerie retorted.

"_Alright. That's enough."_ Peter told them. He turned to Valerie. _"Notice that I'm being very calm about this. That's because I'm sure that you have a perfectly good explanation as to what those statues really hold."_ he said.

Valerie nodded_. "That's what I was about to tell you back at your office, before we were rudely interrupted. Peter, those statues-"_ she started to tell him.

"_Chief Vega."_ someone called her.

They all turned around to see two men approaching them. One of them, Neal recognized from earlier as Special Agent Gordon Davies, the head of Counter-Terrorism Division. He didn't recognize the other one, from the looks of him, he seems like he was someone important as well.

"_Special Agent Burke."_ Davies nodded at Peter.

"_Sir."_ Peter acknowledged.

"_I know that this was initially your case, and I appreciate the amount of courtesy you've shown."_ Davies told him.

"_I hope that you're not kicking us off the case, sir._" Peter said.

"_That is entirely up to Chief Vega. She's in charge of the investigation."_ Davies replied.

"_I don't see a reason why not, Agent Davies."_ Valerie said.

"_May I request that my consultant and I be present at Miss Ellis' interrogation?"_ Peter asked.

"_Agent Burke, this isn't a formal interrogation. We merely want to ask Miss Ellis a few questions pertinent to this case. I'll allow you two to observe, but let US ask the questions."_ Agent Davies demanded.

"_Yes sir."_ Peter said.

"_Thank you, Agent Davies."_ Neal said.

"_Should we proceed then?"_ Davies asked.

All five of them entered the room to join Alex and Sara.

* * *

><p>Inside the room, Sara saw Valerie and the two other men , followed closely by Peter and Neal.<p>

"_Peter...Neal! Any of you want to tell me what's going on?"_ Sara asked.

"_Please take a seat, Miss Ellis."_ Valerie told her.

Sara did as she was told. Alex walked towards Valerie took a seat next to her, while Peter and Neal sat a few seats away from them.

"_Miss Ellis, my name is Special Agent Gordon Davies, head of FBI's Counter-Terrorism Division."_ He nodded to the man to his right. _"This is Keith Bauer from Homeland Security. And I believe, you know the rest of the people in this room."_ Davies said.

"_Wait a second...Counter-Terrorism Division? Homeland Security?" What's going on?"_ Sara asked, very confused.

"_Miss Ellis, we just would like to clarify a few things."_ Davies said. _"I believe that you were recently in possession of one of the statues that was on our watch-list?"_ Davies asked her.

"_Yes. And I already turned it in."_ Sara answered.

Davies turned to Valerie. _"Did we verify the statue?" _he asked.

Valerie looked at Alex, who nodded. She turned to Agent Davies. _"Yes, it is one of the statues we are looking for."_ she answered.

Davies returned his gaze to Sara. _"Miss Ellis, If you could explain to us the details of how you got your hands on said statue?"_ he asked her.

"_I went to Mr. Erwan Solenn's office to ask him a few more questions regarding the statues that he had insured. He hasn't been cooperative with the authorities in the past, so I serve as a go-between."_ Sara answered, the paused, reluctant to go on.

"_Please continue, Miss Ellis."_ Valerie urged her.

"_When I got there, no one was answering. There was nobody in the office. I was about to leave when a delivery truck pulled up. He said that he has a package for Mr. Solenn..."_ Sara said. She hesitated again, but continued. _"I...I told the guy that I was Mr. Solenn's assistant and I signed for the package."_ she admitted.

Sara saw Neal looked down and Peter pinched the bridge of his nose. She continued. _"I opened the package...I saw a the black pouch containing the the golden statue and realized that it was one of the statues you were looking for. So I came here directly to see Agent Burke and show it to him."_ she concluded.

There was silence for a moment. Bauer and Davies were talking to each other in whispers. Valerie took a folder out and opened it. She looked at Sara, and spoke.

"_Miss Ellis, when was the last time you were in contact with Erwan Solenn?" _Valerie asked her.

"_I talked to him on the phone almost two weeks ago. In person, I haven't seen him since he reported the first statue missing. As I've said, he wasn't too keen on getting the authorities involved."_ Sara replied.

"_And that didn't strike you as suspicious?"_ Valerie asked her again.

"_No. Most of the art collectors I deal with are very private people."_ Sara answered.

Valerie passed the folder to Sara. _"Do you recognize that man in the photo?"_ she asked her.

"_Yes. Well...this man has blonde hair, but yes, I recognize him. That's Erwan Solenn." _Sara confirmed.

"_Thank you, Miss Ellis." _Valerie told her.

"_I don't understand."_ Sara told her.

"_We appreciate your cooperation."_ Davies thanked her.

"_And Miss Ellis,...if and when Mr. Solenn contacts you or anyone from your agency again, you would do well to inform us."_ Bauer, the silent man from Homeland Security, finally spoke.

"_That would be all, Miss Ellis. You're free to go."_ Valerie dismissed her. She turned to Neal. _"Mr. Caffrey, would you kindly show Miss Ellis the way out, please?"_ she asked Neal politely.

Neal nodded and proceeded to lead Sara out the of the room. Once outside the door, Sara stopped and turned to Neal. She looked at him, seeking some affection and understanding, and was disappointed to see the blank expression on his face.

"_You know what, you don't have to walk me to the door...I know my way out."_ she told Neal. She hesitated for a moment, before leaning closer to him. She kissed him softly on the lips. The kiss was gentle and short, then she pulled back. _"Call me later."_ she told him, before turning around and walking away.

Neal silently watched Sara until she disappeared into the hallway. After that, he entered back into the conference room to rejoin the others.

* * *

><p>Inside, Neal found the others discussing information about the case.<p>

"_Miss Hunter, you can attest that this statue is indeed one of the nine statues?"_ Davies asked Alex.

"_Yes, sir. This one is Nephthys...the goddess of night and lamentation. This statue shares the same make up, same components, same structure as the rest that we have." _Alex replied.

"_Wait, what do you mean same components? I thought the statues were made of solid gold?"_ Peter asked.

"_The REAL statues of the Great Ennead are made of solid gold. Those statues remain in the possession of a private art collector in Cyprus, where it has been for almost a decade now." _Alex told him.

"_So these are fakes?"_ Peter asked. _"I know that forgery is a crime, but why does this warrant the presence of UNSC, CTD and Homeland Security?"_ he wondered, getting impatient.

"_We'll get to that, Agent Burke."_ Davies answered him.

Neal moved closer towards Alex to get a closer look at the statue. _"May I?"_ he asked.

Alex nodded. He took the statue from her and held it in his hands for a while.

"_You feel it?"_ Alex asked him.

"_Yeah. This has gold in it, for sure, but not the whole statue. Just the outside layer. The rest of the composition is made of another material."_ Neal replied.

"_You're sure?" _Peter asked him. Neal arched an eyebrow._ "Okay...you're sure."_ he said.

"_Based on its density, a solid gold statue of this size should weigh a lot heavier __than this."_ Neal stated.

"_That's because this one, like the other statues, are nothing but gold-coated replicas."_ Alex explained.

"_And there is something else contained inside of it."_ Valerie added.

"_Kinda like a Matryoshka."_ Neal stated.

"_Yes, except we don't know yet how to open this one." _Valerie told him.

"_So, Erwan Solenn wants whatever are contained inside these statues."_ Peter deduced. _"There's more, isn't it?"_ he asked.

It was Keith Bauer who answered. _"Agent Burke, Erwan Solenn doesn't exist."_ he revealed.

"_What do you mean? Sara told you she met and talked to the guy."_ Peter said, quite confused.

"_It's a legend that the CIA made up, as ordered by top ranking government officials."_ Valerie tried to explain.

"_Legend?"_ Peter asked again.

"_A false identity created to serve a purpose to the United States government."_ Bauer answered cryptically.

Valerie handed Peter and Neal the photo she showed to Sara earlier. _"That man's name is Sivan Heussaff. He's an atomic chemistry scientist...a young genius who used to work for The International Organization for Scientific Research in Geneva, Switzerland. He was fired in 1999 for...let's just say reasons we can't discuss."_ she stated.

"_After he was fired, the US government took notice of his intelligence and hired him months later to work for us. We gave him a new life, a new identity as __reclusive art collector, Erwan Solenn, that was his cover. In reality, he has hired to work as the scientist who made chemical weapons for the United States military." _Bauer added.

"_Isn't that illegal?"_ Neal asked.

"_Not if the weapons are used solely as an 'incapacitating agent'. These type of weapons are only to be used in actual combat as defense against insurgents." _Valerie informed him.

"_Late last year, it came to his superior's attention that Heussaff was doing another experiment on the side. He developed an evolved form of chemical weapon. This one was lethal, designed to kill instead of incapacitate."_ Bauer continued. _"He was asked to appear before a commission to explain himself. He said that there was a bigger war coming, and that the United States needed to be prepared. He rambled on and on, like a mad man."_ Bauer said.

"_He was fired."_ Peter said.

"_Yes. And all of his work were confiscated...or so we thought."_ Bauer replied. _"All his research were protected. His files self-destructed once we tried to crack it. We tried to apprehend Heussaff, but he managed to fled the country. That's when we reported him to UNSC, to notify that there was someone out there with great knowledge of weapons of mass destruction and that he was mad enough to use it."_ he concluded.

"_We've been trying to catch him ever since. We had assets and agents looking for him all over the world, only to hit one dead-end after another."_ Valerie said. _"Then, finally, we caught a break. He was spotted all over Central Eurasia by one of our assets. He was reported to have commissioned a forger to make replicas of statues of the Great Ennead, only with specific modifications. By the time we got there, Heussaff had already killed the forger and escaped with the statues."_ Valerie informed them.

"_What's inside those statues?"_ Peter asked.

"_As I've said, we haven't figured out how to open them. But we do believe that those statues contain the by-product of Heussaff's research."_ Valerie answered.

"_You mean chemical weapons?"_ Neal asked, slowly stepping away from the statue.

"_That's the theory, yes."_ Valerie answered.

"_And, what? He just mail the statues to his office here in Manhattan?"_ Peter asked.

"_It's a lot easier than going through TSA."_ It was Alex who answered. _"Compared to the airport inspections one has to go through when traveling, shipment inspections are more laxed, especially when the objects are insured through a renowned insurance agency. "_ she explained.

"_So, he reenters the country, without being noticed, with hopes that he could get to the statues before the authorities do. That's why he didn't want us involved in __the search."_ Peter said.

"_He didn't count on us hiring a professional to retrieve those statues for us."_ Valerie said, nodding at Alex.

"_How many statues do we have in our possession so far?"_ Davies asked Valerie.

"_Including this one, we now have six of the statues in question. That leaves three more out there that remain as a threat to the public."_ Valerie answered.

"_How much damage can it do?"_ Neal asked.

_"The GX-42, the chemical weapon that Heussaff, created is a very unique one. It is highly soluble and once it's triggered, it emits an untraceable, odorless, tasteless airborne toxic nerve agent that evaporates and fuses molecules into the air, making it spread easily. Once it gets to the skin or lungs, it can result to asphyxiation, paralysis, and death to its victims in less than 90 secs. One canister __can contaminate half a million people."_ Valerie answered.

There was silence inside the room for a while. Peter and Neal tried to absorb all the new information presented to them. It all sounded surreal, as if it came from a movie or a novel. But they knew that the threat was real, and that they were caught in the middle of it.

"_Agent Burke, you understand that this information needs to be handled with care. We don't want the people panicking."_ Davies said. _"And we all need to work together to resolve this matter quickly, quietly and effectively."_ he added.

_"I understand, sir."_ Peter replied.

Davies turned to Valerie. _"Chief Vega, once again, thank you for your help."_ he told her.

"_You're welcome. As per protocol, we would be turning in this statue over to __Special Agent Gardner's WMDD team for further examination."_ Valerie informed him.

Agent Davies and Bauer stood up and proceeded to leave. Before he left the room, Bauer stopped in front of the two ladies. He turned his attention to Alex.

"_You're Persephone?"_ Bauer asked her, getting no answer in return. _"Great job in Istanbul."_ he added, met with more silence. _"Thank you for all your help."_ he told her.

"_There's no reason to thank me, sir. Persephone doesn't exist. When this is all over, you never saw me...this thing never happened. Isn't that how it always goes?"_ Alex asked him rhetorically.

Bauer nodded and headed towards the door. He then left the room with Agent Davies.

* * *

><p>After the two men left, Valerie turned to Alex. <em>"What? You couldn't have just said 'You're welcome!'?"<em> she asked her, half-teasingly.

Alex smiled at her friend. _"Alright. I better get this ready for the WMDD team." _she said, as she picked up the statue to put it back inside the black pouch.

"_I'll call to notify them."_ Valerie told her.

Alex noticed the shipment package. She was too busy earlier inspecting the statue, she didn't bother checking the packing slip it came with. It contained the delivery invoices, something they never thought to look into before. She unfolded the paper and began reading it.

"_What are those?"_ Neal asked.

"_Invoices."_ Alex answered.

"_Anything interesting in it?"_ Peter asked.

Just then, Valerie came back. _"Agent Gardner's team will be here for the statue in a bit." _she told them. She noticed that everyone was all gathered. _"What's going on"_ she asked.

"_Alex found the packing slip."_ Peter answered. _"We're trying to find out if it means anything."_ he added.

"_It all seems nothing out of the ordinary. Has the address of where it was mailed from, which I'm sure is a fake. Destination is Solenn's 'office' in Manhattan."_ Alex summarized. She paused for a moment. _"Hold on...there's a note in the comment." _she informed them.

"_What does it say?"_ Valerie asked her.

"_Says 'h, __**I**__, j, k, l, m,n,o'."_ Alex answered. _"The 'I' is capitalized and in bold __lettering."_ she added.

"_I wonder what it means?"_ Valerie asked.

"_Could mean nothing."_ Peter said.

"_He wouldn't have put it there if it didn't mean anything."_ Neal replied.

Alex remained silent. She took out the statue once again and began to reexamine it. She looked for signs of any letterings on it, but found none. _"The letter I is in bold lettering...the I...the eye"_ she told herself.

Without even thinking about it, she put both her thumbs on the eyes of the statue and pressed on it. Then she heard a loud clicking sound. Her blood ran cold. _"You need to get of the room this instant, all of you!"_ she warn the rest.

"_Why? What's wrong?"_ Valerie asked noticing the panic in Alex voice.

"_I think I may have just found the way to open these statues!"_ Alex announced.

* * *

><p>~<strong>END OF CHAPTER SIX<strong>~

* * *

><p><strong>Footnotes<strong> :

*Again, I must remind you that most of these are fictional, a product of a wild imagination. Just go with it.

*I just made up GX-42...I really don't know anything about chemical weapons or any other weapons for that matter.

*Alex and Bauer's conversation about Persephone and the Istanbul job is the job where Alex got shot in the arm. [Father and Son]. Just my way of showing Alex's extra-curricular activities for different types of people. In my stories, that was how Alex has a lot of connections.

*Thank you for taking the time to read this chapter. If you like it, please feel free to leave a comment.


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

* * *

><p>Everyone stared at Alex...the look in her eyes was proof enough that she was serious.<p>

"_Are you people deaf? Get out! Now!" _Alex yelled.

"_Alright, sweetie, calm down."_ Valerie said her in a soft manner. _"Talk to me."_ she told her.

"_The letter 'I' was highlighted in the invoice...I looked at the statue, there was no letter 'I'. I figured, he must mean 'eye'. So I pressed on the statue's eyes...then I heard a 'click'."_ Alex informed her. _"Val, if I take my hands off of this thing, I'm fairly certain it will split in half."_ she told her friend.

"_That's...uhm...good. I mean, we've been trying to figure out how to open these damn things without taking a hammer to it. Now we know how. Good job!"_ Valerie told her.

Alex looked at her incredulously. _"Are you kidding me? I have chemical weapons in my hand that could kill us all and you're telling me 'Good job!'?"_ she told her.

"_Riiight...first things first."_ Valerie said. She turned to Peter and Neal. _"You two...get out."_ she ordered them. _"And when you see Special Agent Gardner and his team, please tell them to hurry the hell up."_ she added.

Neal looked at Alex. _"I'm not leaving you here."_ he told her.

"_And I'm not leaving without him."_ Peter said.

"_You're both stupid."_ Alex told them both.

"_Alright...let's think this through."_ Valerie spoke up. _"Alex, the GX-42 spreads very fast and could kill everyone in this building in under a minute and a half...so, it really doesn't matter whether we get out of the room or not. We'd still __be dead."_ Valerie told her.

"_That is not helping, Val." _Alex told her.

"_Okay, so let's do something more constructive then."_ Valerie said. _"Just open it up slowly...we'll have a look."_ she told her.

"_Wait, are you sure about this? "_ Peter asked Valerie.

Valarie nodded. She turned to Alex. _"How about it?"_ she asked.

"_Okay."_ Alex answered.

Alex slowly released her grip from the statue. As expected, the statue split in half, revealing what was hidden inside. Alex gently set it down on the table. The inside layer of the statue, under the thick layer of gold, was solid lead. In its core was a silver-colored sphere the size of a golf ball.

"_It's alright." _Valerie let out a sigh of relief._ "This is a Binary Munitions type of chemical weapon."_ she informed them.

"_What's that mean?"_ Neal asked.

"_It means that it's a part of two, unmixed and isolated non-lethal chemicals. It doesn't react to produce any lethal effects, not until it's mixed with the other ingredient.__"_ Valerie explained.

Just then, Special Agent Gardner arrived in the room with his other team members.

"_Agent Gardner, over here." _Valerie called him over.

"_Chief Vega."_ Gardner nodded at her. _"What's the situation?"_ he asked after noticing everyone gathered around.

"_Miss Hunter figured out the way to open the statues."_ Valerie filled him in. _"You have to press on the eyes to unlock it."_ she added. She continued to tell him everything that happened.

"_Alright, if every one would kindly step away."_ Gardner asked them politely.

Gardner motioned for one of his team members to come forward. They put their special gloves on and used a long-handled pair of tongs to grip the statue, along with its contents, and put them inside a HazChem containment bag marked 'Dangerous Goods'. They sealed the bag and then it was taken out of the room.

"_Anyone of you handle the statue after it was opened?"_ Gardner asked.

"_Just me."_ Alex replied.

"_I'm going to need you to come with me. The __chemicals are benign until mixed with the other ingredient. But it wouldn't hurt to get checked out."_ Gardner told Alex.

"_You want me to come with you?"_ Valerie asked her.

"_No, I'll be fine."_ Alex assured her, before Gardner led her out of the room.

* * *

><p>Valerie couldn't stop tapping a pencil on the table. While they make sure that conference room # 3 was free from contamination, the FBI was polite enough to give her team another make-shift office during the remainder of their stay. She observed that everyone in the room were working together and sharing information, with hopes to catch another lead. All of them, both the UNSC team and the FBI...except for one.<p>

Valerie looked at the clock. It had been hours since Alex went with Gardner to get checked-out, and she hasn't come back yet. Valerie was starting to worry. She continued her nervous tapping on the desk. Suddenly she felt a hand gently cover hers...a comforting hand, which made her stop the tapping.

It was Neal Caffrey. _"I'm sure she's fine. They'll let us know if anything is wrong."_ he assured Valerie.

Valerie gave him a warm smile. She turned to the rest of the people in the room.

"_Alright people...after spending all this time talking and sharing and researching, has anybody actually figured out anything new that could help us with the case?"_ Valerie asked.

Her question was met with silence.

"_Anyone? Anyone?"_ she asked again. Still nothing.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

"_Come in."_ Valerie answered.

It was Alex, dressed in different clothes than the ones she wore before. Her hair was still damp.

"_Sorry...the 'detoxification' process took a little longer that I thought it would."_ Alex told her.

"_Everything alright?"_ Valerie asked her.

"_Five by five."_ Alex replied. _"Clean bill of health."_ she added, before sitting down to the chair that Neal offered her. _"Did I miss anything?" _she asked.

"_Not much."_ Neal answered. _"We're still catching up with the information you shared with us."_ he said.

Peter turned to Valerie. _"You said earlier that the chemical found inside the statue doesn't get triggered unless mixed with another substance. Any idea on __what that is?"_ he asked her.

Valerie shook her head. _"I'm afraid only Heussaff knows that information. There's no way of finding out...all the files we have of his were destroyed."_ she said.

Alex thought for a moment. _"Actually, there is a clue."_ she told her. _"The note on the invoice...it's not just about how to open the statues. It tells us exactly what the trigger substance is."_ she said excitedly.

"_What do you mean?"_ Peter asked her.

"_The note said 'h, I, j, k, l, m, n, o'"_ Alex replied. _"That's the clue!"_ she told them.

"_I don't understand."_ Valerie said to her friend.

"_h, I, j, k, l, m, n, o...H to O."_ Alex told them. _"H2O. The trigger substance is __water." _she deducted.

"_Just add water."_ Neal said.

"_That makes sense...GX-42 is highly soluble. Mix it with water, it dissolves and evaporates into the air, turning it into a toxic nerve gas..."_ Valerie's voice trailed off. She turned to one of her agents. "_Agent Cohen...make sure that WMDD gets this information."_ she ordered.

"_This is very bad."_ Peter said. _"If Heussaff get his hands on those remaining statues, he can turn them into weapons just by turning on a faucet!"_ he said.

"_That's why we need to make sure that he doesn't get his hands on those statues."_ Valerie answered.

* * *

><p>It had been a long and tiring day for everyone. It was already dark and most of the agents had already left the building. Valerie had just finished a conference call with her superiors and was just about ready to do the same, when she heard a tap on the door.<p>

Neal poke his head inside. _"Hope you guys are hungry."_ he said, with a charming smile. He entered the room, followed by Peter.

"_Neal insisted that we brought you two some dinner." _Peter informed Valerie, as he laid out a wide array of Chinese food on the table.

Neal looked around for Alex and found her in a corner, staring out the window. _"Excuse me."_ he said to Peter and Valerie, before walking towards Alex.

"_Hey there."_ Neal said to Alex. _"We brought dinner. Hope Chinese food is okay."_ he told her.

"_Sure...it's fine."_ Alex answered. _"I'll be right there."_ she told him, as she continued to stare out the window.

"_Everything okay?"_ Neal asked her.

"_Yeah."_ Alex answered. She paused for a while. _"Not a lot of stars in the sky tonight."_ she said, almost in a whisper.

"_With all these skyscrapers, how can you tell?"_ Neal asked her. He observed her demeanor. _"You're thinking of him, aren't you?"_ he asked, referring to their son, Nicholas.

Alex hesitated for a moment to talk about Nicholas. Finally, she spoke. _"You know, there have been numerous times that I wanted to take Nicholas with me to wherever place I went to. This isn't one of those times. I wouldn't want him anywhere near here, just in case that madman succeeds with his plan."_ she told Neal.

"_I understand, Alex. I feel the same way."_ Neal answered.

Alex looked at him and gave him a smile. The first friendly smile she had given him since she got back in town. Neal missed that. He missed the days when he could just charm Alex into doing anything for him, really.

They stood there in silence, her eyes still staring out the window, while his gaze remained fixed on her. Everything had changed between them, especially recently, and Neal knew that he was partly to blame for that. But he couldn't change what was already been done. All he could do is move forward to the future.

That startled him for a moment. It was daunting to him to think of the word "future" and associate it with Alex and Nicholas. He had no trouble of associating the word "forever" with Kate, but since her death, Neal have had a lot trouble moving past that. Though he didn't show it, it was a big enough struggle for him just to get out of bed in the morning and get through the day. That all seemed to change now that he knows he has a son. It's as if he found renewed purpose, a reason to go on. As regards to how long he has to wait till he can see his son again, only time will tell.

* * *

><p>Back at the table, Peter and Valerie were having a conversation of their own while having dinner. Peter couldn't help but watch Valerie while she ate her food.<p>

"_Do I have something in my face, Peter?"_ Valerie asked.

Peter chuckled. _"No."_ he answered. He paused for a moment and shook his head. _"I don't know why, but watching you now and remembering the woman I used to know..."_ his voice trailed off.

"_You're still having trouble reconciling the fact that the woman from your past, and the person right in front of you now, are one and the same."_ Valerie stated.

"_In a way, yes."_ Peter answered.

"_I told you...the girl you once loved died a long time ago. It might make things seem easier if you think of it like that."_ Valerie advised.

"_It's not that I'm having problems with. It's...seeing you right now, you seems so different. Back then, you were just a jewel thief that I used to chase __after and finally caught."_ Peter said.

"_Yeah, I remember. I was your first Neal Caffrey. Although, I do believe that Reese got all the credit for that."_ Valerie reminded him.

Peter laughed and nodded his head. _"Once a thief...now look at you. One of the key officers of UNSC."_ he said.

"_I believe my full title is Chief of Field Operations of the Logistics Directorate of UNSC."_ she playfully corrected him. _"How you like me now?"_ she chuckled.

"_Oh, don't remind me, Chief 'I have the diplomatic rank of a five-star general!'" _Peter said, doing his best to imitate Valerie's voice. In a more serious tone _"You've come a long way. I'm proud of you."_ he told her.

"_Good to know."_ Valerie answered.

"_So...are things always this exciting for you?"_ Peter asked.

"_Well, not always. But most of the time yeah." _Valerie replied. _"Comes with the territory, I suppose. Apart from making sure that one individual, organization, or nation doesn't harbor weapons of mass destruction that is not sanction by the United Nations, part of my job description is also to act as 'power broker'...someone the UNSC hired to ensure that the balance of power is maintained."_she added.

"_Equal distribution of power...good luck with that."_ Peter told her.

He saw Neal and Alex approaching them. _"Food's getting cold."_ Peter told them.

Pretty soon, all four of them were having dinner at the same table. The dinner conversation was pretty limited to the occasional "Please pass the rice." and "Thank you." This time, Peter couldn't help but watch Alex and Neal...mostly Alex. This didn't go unnoticed by the others.

"_Something wrong, Peter?"_ Neal asked.

"_Yeah, what's on your mind now?"_ Valerie asked him as well.

"_Pretty sure it has something to do with me."_ Alex told them.

Peter shook his head. He turned to Valerie._"I understand you and your presence here. That's acceptable." _he told her. He turned to Alex. _"But you, Alex...I don't quite get you."_ he said.

"_What more is there to get? I was hired by Valerie to recover certain goods. Plain and simple."_ Alex replied flatly.

"_They hire you to steal things? You must be doing well then."_ Peter told Alex. _"Tell me something, how much is the UNSC paying you? What's the going rate for a 'freelance operative' these days? Or are they paying you extra to keep you on retainer? How much does the an agency have to pay for you to be at their beck and call?"_ he interrogated her, as the conversation started to take an ugly turn.

Alex couldn't take it anymore. Her day had been less than stellar as it was, between her conversation with Sara, and her close encounter with a chemical weapon. She didn't want to have to take any of Peter Burke's insinuations as well. She stopped eating and looked at Peter straight in the eye.

She began to talk to him in a playful, sultry voice. _"Oh...would you like me to be your 'beck-and-call girl', Agent Burke? I'm flattered, but no thank you!" _she told him. In her normal voice, she continued. _"I suggest you just stick with Caffrey."_

She turned to look at Neal. _"Is it $700 a month stipend for housing allotment? And what else $25-$30 per diem?"_ she asked Neal.

"_Yeah...something like that."_ Neal answered.

Alex turned back to Peter. _"See? That, right there, is a bargain."_ she told him, as she leaned closer to him. _"Because to tell you quite frankly, Peter...I highly doubt that you could afford me."_ she said softly into his ear, but loud enough for everyone to hear. Suddenly, her cell phone rang. _"Excuse me, I __need to take this call." _she informed them.

Alex stood up and walked away from the table, leaving Peter stunned silent, his face red.

"_You deserved that."_ Valerie told him, before focusing her attention on Alex, who was talking on her phone.

"_Salam dooet e man [Hello, my friend.]"_ Alex said.

That grabbed Peter and Neal's attention as well. They listened intently on Alex's end of the conversation.

"_Man khoobam, mersi. Va shoma? [I'm fine, thank you. And you?]" _Alex continued.

Peter tapped Valerie on the shoulder. _"Is that Arabic?"_ he asked.

Valerie shook her head. _"Farsi."_ she replied. _"You see, Peter...Alex Hunter is a whole lot more than just a petty thief. Her skill set is not limited to just stealing things."_ she told him, before turning her attention back to Alex.

"_Cheh khabar? [What's new?]"_ Alex said, then paused to listen.

"_Aya an dorost ast? [Is that right?]"_ Alex spoke again.

"_Ah! Khoob ast. [Oh! That's good.]"_ Alex answered, before pausing again.

"_Koja? [Where?]"_ Alex asked, followed by another pause.

"_Vaghean? Aya motmaen hastid? [Really? Are you sure?]"_ Alex asked again.

"_An nazdike injast. [It's near here.]"_ Alex replied.

"_Kheili mamnoon. Khodahafez. [Thank you very much. Goodbye.]" _Alex said before hanging up her phone.

Alex rejoined the others, who were anxiously awaiting for an explanation. She sat down and started to eat her food.

Peter stopped her. _"Well? Who was it?"_ he asked.

"_That was one of my Central Eurasian contacts. He said that three cargo shipments left port in Tehran almost a week ago. He should have more information for us soon." _Alex answered.

"_That's it?"_ Peter pressed.

"_Would I lie to you, Peter?"_ Alex asked rhetorically.

"_See? This is the reason why I can't trust you."_ Peter told her, starting to get agitated. _"The secrets and lies."_ he added.

"_Well, you know what they say, Peter. 'Lying is the most fun any girl could ever have without taking her clothes off'...only it's better if you do."_ Alex told him while looking at him in the eye.

Valerie and Neal just watched the two, as the conversation unfolded.

"_I want to like you, Alex. I really do."_ Peter told her. _"But I can't do that since I don't know which side you're playing...good or evil."_ he added.

Alex arched an eyebrow. _"Hmmm...good or evil?"_ she repeated. She looked at him. _"I am both...I am neither. I'm a Hunter, Agent Burke. Good and evil can kiss my ass."_ she answered cryptically, before going back to eating her meal in silence.

* * *

><p>~<strong>END OF CHAPTER SEVEN<strong>~

* * *

><p><strong>Footnotes<strong> :

*Again, let me reiterate...Valerie's UNSC job is FICTIONAL. So is GX-42 (I'm not, I repeat, not a chemical weapons expert.)

*Alex was having a bad day...I think it's understandable why she wouldn't take any crap from Peter.

*To clarify, the conversation in Farsi was all Alex...no one but her could hear what her contact was saying.

*That last line, in my interpretation, means that Alex is a sinner, not a saint. She has, shall we say, moral ambiguity. Based on her chosen profession, she's bad, but not evil. At the end of the day, she'll do what's best for her and her family. Take it any way you want, but that's how I wrote it.

*Thank you for taking time to read this chapter. If you like it, please feel free to leave a comment.


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

* * *

><p>Later that night, after Peter and Neal went home, Alex asked Valerie's permission to pursue a lead. Now clad in black leather, her usual cat burglar attire, she went inside the Red Hook Container Terminal in Brooklyn, New York. It was the one of the locations where her contact told her that one of the statues would be.<p>

She looked around, and observed everything. She was only there to scout the premises. Check out how many workers, how many guards, where the security cameras are...details she will need later once Valerie gives her the OK to go ahead and retrieve the statue.

She felt that prickling sensation on the back of her neck, which is usually a warning sign that she was being watched. Then, from behind her, she felt a hand touch her shoulder. She quickly grabbed the hand, twisted it, and was about to smash the guy's face with her fist, when she recognized the man who caught her off guard.

"_Whoa, there Cat Woman! It's me."_ Neal whispered, dressed in all black leather, same as her.

Alex let his hand go. _"Neal! What the hell are you doing here?" _she asked him, keeping her voice low.

"_I'm under official FBI business."_ he replied.

"_Funny, I don't see your tether around." _she said, referring to Peter.

"_Peter said to follow you and find out what you were up to." _Neal told her. _"I was more than happy to oblige."_ he said, flashing her a charming smile.

"_I'm warning you, Caffrey...do not get in my way." _she said to him.

"_Since when am I ever in your way?"_ he asked her. He saw her arched one of her eyebrows _"Don't answer that."_ he said.

Alex turned away from him and continued to quietly look around inside the terminal.

"_So...what's the plan?"_ Neal asked her.

"_There is no 'plan', Caffrey!"_ she replied.

"_You mean you're just winging it? That's not like you."_ he told her.

"_I'm not here to steal anything. I'm only here to survey the area." _Alex answered.

"_I don't get it. One of the statues is here, right?"_ he asked her.

"_Yes. It's in one of those crates."_ she pointed to the pile of wooden containers not too far from them.

"_Then why can't we just get it now?"_ he asked. _"I mean, we're already here. We're certainly dressed for it. Why not make a night out of it?"_ he said in a playful tone.

Alex recognized that tone of his voice. It was the same seductive tone she had always found hard to resist in the past. _"Neal Caffrey, you bad boy, you. What will Peter say?"_ she asked him.

"_Peter's not here. And sure, he'd be angry...but once we show him the statue, he'll be fine."_ Neal assured her.

Just then, they heard footsteps approaching their direction, accompanied by lights from torches.

"_Who's in there?"_ a male voice asked.

Neal looked at Alex. _"I have an idea."_ he told her.

"_Ah...we could run."_ she said.

"_My idea's better. Just go with it."_ he replied.

"_What is it?"_ she asked.

"_What we always do...just like old times."_ he answered.

Without warning Neal leaned closer to Alex, pulling her into his arms, taking full possession of her mouth in a fiercely demanding kiss. He placed one of his hands down the small of her back, the other one on the back of her neck, as he continued to ravage her mouth. He expertly pried her mouth open with his tongue, dipping her head for more access. The kiss grew deeper and more passionate, as he shifted his weight, practically lifting her feet of the ground. He smiled into her mouth, quite proud of himself, when he heard her muffled moans.

That was when two security guards appeared and interrupted them.

"_Alright, you two...break it up!"_ the first guard yelled.

Neal reluctantly pulled away from Alex. He turned to the guards and smiled sheepishly. _"It's okay, fellas! We're married."_ he lied to them.

"_We don't care if you two are living in sin! Get out of here, before we call the cops."_ the other guard warned them.

"_What kind of world are we living in, where a guy can't even make out with his own wife?" _Neal said, earning a glare from both the guards.

"_Five minutes...if you're not out of here by then, we're having you two arrested!"_ the first guard told them, before they both walked away.

After that, Neal turned to Alex. _"That was..."_ he gasped.

"_For tactical purposes only. Nothing more...nothing less."_ she told him. _"They're gone now."_ she said, referring to the guards. _"Let's go."_ she said, pushing past him.

Neal looked at her as she walked away. _"Yeah, right! Tactical, my ass!"_ he muttered under his breath, as he followed behind her.

"_Where are you going?"_ Neal asked her.

"_The crates are up there."_ she pointed to the one that was about 15 feet above them. _"We have less than four minutes to get it. Now, quit your yapping and give me a boost."_ she ordered him.

"_When did you become so bossy?"_ he asked her.

He did as he was told, putting his hands out, palms up, one hand right on top of the other. Alex put her left foot on top of his hands, as Neal used his strength to shove her weight upwards, sending her flying into the air. Her hands grabbed a hold of the edges, and she pulled herself up the rest of the way. Once on top of the crate, she pried one of the wooden planks off and went through the contents of the crate.

"_Found it."_ she told Neal softly. _"Think fast, Caffrey."_ she said as she threw the package down to Neal. Neal caught it. He watched Alex as she expertly climbed down the pile of crates.

"_Nicely done."_ he said.

"_Thank you. Now let's get out of here before those guards come back."_ she told him.

Together, they sneaked out of the terminal and kept on walking out of the compound until they reached the main street.

Alex turned to Neal. _"Now comes the hard part. You call Peter...I'll call Valerie." _she said, as they both reached for their phones.

* * *

><p>Back at the FBI office, Peter glared at both Neal and Alex. Dressed in denim jeans and a plain white shirt, his face was masked in controlled anger. Not too far away was Valerie, dressed in a gray tracksuit, talking to someone on the phone.<p>

"_Thank you, Stephen."_ Valerie told Agent Gardner over the phone. _"Sorry to wake you up."_ she apologized before hanging up. She turned to face the others._ "Well, the statue is now secured inside the WMDD lab."_ she informed them.

"_What the hell were you two thinking...going in there without back-up?"_ Peter asked them. He turned to Neal. _"I told you to follow her. I didn't give you permission to commit a felony!" _he told Neal, slightly raising his voice.

"_Look, Peter-"_ Neal tried to explain, before he was interrupted.

"_It was my fault, I made him do it."_ Alex lied. She didn't want Neal to get in trouble, knowing fully well that Burke can send him back to prison.

"_She's lying! It was my idea."_ Neal said to Peter.

"_Both of you...shut up!"_ Valerie told them. She turned to face Peter. _"All they did was take initiative."_ she defended Alex and Neal.

"_Is that what you call it? 'Taking initiative'? Is that another one of those things you encourage where you come from? We could have gotten that statue some other way."_ Peter told Valerie.

"_What? Get a warrant? That could've taken forever and by then it'll be too late." _Valerie told him. _"Like it or not, Peter, my team and I are not bound by the same rules as you. We do what we have to do to get the job done."_ she stated.

"_Mommy and Daddy are fighting again." _Alex said flatly.

"_This is like a really whacked out version of The Brady Bunch."_ Neal muttered.

"_You two think this is funny? This is a no-laughing matter!"_ Peter told them.

"_Hence, the 'no-laughing' part."_ Alex replied, testing Peter's patience once more.

"_Alright, you two, stop it!"_ Valerie told them. She turned to Peter. _"Look, it's late. We're all tired. Let's just all get out of here and get some rest."_ she said. She motioned her head towards Neal. _"You take yours..."_ she told Peter. Valerie walked towards Alex. _"...And I'll take mine."_ she added.

Peter agreed and led Neal out of the office. Valerie did the same with Alex. They all went their separate ways, with hopes the all heads would cool out before they meet again.

* * *

><p>The next day, Neal woke up in a very happy mood. He had his morning coffee and proceeded to get ready. It was a Saturday, so unless Peter calls him in, he doesn't have to come to work. His cheerful mood continued as he took a shower. He began to sing.<p>

"_You won't admit you love me  
>And so how am I to ever know?<br>You always tell me  
>Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps.<em>

_A million times I've asked you,_  
><em>And then I ask you over again.<em>  
><em>You only answer<em>  
><em>Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps.<em>

_If you can't make your mind up_  
><em>We'll never get started.<em>  
><em>And I don't wanna wind up<em>  
><em>Being parted, broken-hearted.<em>

_So if you really love me_  
><em>Say yes, but if you don't dear, confess.<em>  
><em>And please don't tell me<em>  
><em>Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps."<em>

Feeling refreshed after his shower, Neal planned on what to do with his day. He thought of the events that occurred the previous night, and he smiled. He knew exactly where to go.

* * *

><p>Neal knocked on the door of Alex's suite. After everything that had happened, this was the only place where he wanted to be. Alex was the only person he wanted to see. He knocked again when no one answered. This time, the door opened.<p>

"_Look, Val. I-"_ Alex said, expecting to see Valerie at the door. She was surprised to see Neal instead. _"Caffrey. What are you doing here?"_ she asked him.

"_I just wanted to make sure that you're okay."_ he told her.

Then, Neal heard it. The familiar voice of a little boy, coming from inside Alex's suite.

"_Mama? Where did you go? Come back! I'm ready."_ Nicholas said.

Neal was shocked to hear him. He looked at Alex with pleading eyes, hoping she doesn't turn him away. _"Alex, please..."_ he begged.

Alex looked at Neal with slight hesitation. _"Come in."_ she told him, as she let him inside. _"You have to promise to be quiet though. The shows about to begin."_ she said.

Neal looked at her questioningly. She motioned towards the desk with her laptop on. She and Nicholas were doing one of their video chats, something the two have always done in order to keep in touch when Alex is away.

Neal smiled as he saw Nicholas on the monitor. He was facing sideways, reading a music sheet, so he couldn't see that Neal was there in the room as well. Nicholas had a violin on one hand and a bow on the other. Neal also took notice of the odd-looking head piece on his son's head. It was a red, felt hat, the shape of a short cylinder, with a black tassle hanging from the middle.

"_What is that thing on his head?"_ he whispered to Alex.

"_Shhh!"_ Alex silenced him.

Nicholas took the violin and placed it under the left side of his jaw, the fingertips of his left hand on the fingerboard. His right hand did the arco, drawing the hair of the bow on the strings of the violin. He began to play the song that he had been practicing earlier, Schubert's Serenade.

The lovely melody filled the air, as Neal and Alex watched Nicholas play. Alex was beaming with pride as she listened, while Neal couldn't wipe the smile off his face. Nicholas continued to play the song with such grace and ease, one wouldn't believe that he only learned to play the violin just recently.

_My son, the prodigy!_ Neal thought to himself, not exactly hiding his pride as a father.

Nicholas finished playing the song. He looked to see his mother and was surprised to see Neal sitting there as well. He smiled when both Alex and Neal clapped, and he took a bow, then set his violin on its case. Nicholas went closer to the webcam and waved to them.

"_Hi Neal! Nice to see you again!"_ Nicholas told him.

"_Happy to see you too."_ Neal answered.

"_Did you like it, Mama?"_ Nicholas asked her.

"_I loved it, Moonbeam!"_ Alex replied.

"_How about you, Neal?"_ Nicholas asked him.

"_Of course, I did! You were amazing!"_ Neal praised him.

"_Thank you! I practice a lot!"_ Nicholas told him.

Neal was still distracted by the thing that his son had on his head. _"Uhm, Nicholas...what is that thing that you're wearing?"_ Neal asked him.

"_Oh, this?"_ pointing to his red hat. _"This is a fez. Jack bought it for me, the last time he went to Morocco. I like it! Fezzes are cool!"_ Nicholas told him. _"I love hats! All sorts of hats! Did I tell you that?"_ he added. _"Hold on, alright?" _he said, before disappearing from the screen.

Neal leaned closer to Alex and whispered. _"So...who's-"_ He was interrupted when Nicholas reappeared on the screen.

"_Look, Neal! I have a Stetson too! Mama got it for me the last time she was in Texas!" _Nicholas said excitedly. He was wearing a white, ten-gallon cowboy hat. _"I'll be back!"_ he said, before he disappeared from the screen again.

Neal put the palm of his hand and hit his forehead. _"Oh, my God! He has hideous tastes in hats!"_ he muttered. Alex smacked him on the arm. Few seconds later, Nicholas reappeared on the monitor. This time, he wasn't wearing a hat.

"_You ready?"_ Nicholas asked. In his hand, he had the dark grey, wool fedora that Neal gave him. He twirl the hat between his fingers, flipped it, then put it on his head. The same hat trick that Neal Caffrey has mastered over the years. Nicholas winked at him. _"How you like me now?"_ he asked, giving him a cute smile.

Neal laughed and gave him applause. He couldn't hide the look of pride on his face even if he tried. Once again, Nicholas took his hat off and bowed.

"_So, Nicholas, what else do you like aside from hats?"_ Neal asked him.

"_I love kung-fu!"_ the boy answered. _"I have a wushu class tomorrow morning."_ Nicholas told him.

Neal looked at Alex, and then back to his son. _"Wushu class? Why?"_ he asked.

"_It's all part of my ninja training."_ Nicholas answered.

"_Why would you need ninja training?"_ Neal asked again.

"_So I can be a ninja."_ the little boy deadpanned, earning a chuckle from his mother.

"_Riiight."_ Neal said. _"Moving on...what else do you like?"_ he asked him.

"_Horses. I love riding horses."_ Nicholas answered. He turned to Alex. _"Mama, I went horseback-riding with uncle this morning. He told me I was getting pretty good!"_ he boasted.

"_That's great, Moonbeam."_ Alex told him, very proud of her son.

"_Horses...is that your favourite animal?"_ Neal asked the little boy.

"_No, my favourite is the Panda bear." Nicholas_ answered. He turned to Alex. _"Jack promised to take me to the zoo tomorrow after lunch, to see the pandas again."_ he informed her.

_Jack...There goes that name again._ Neal thought. He wanted to know who the man was and why he was so close to Nicholas. _"So, who's Jack?"_ Neal asked his son.

"_Mama's boyfriend."_ Nicholas answered.

And there it was. The truth was out. Neal turned to look at Alex, who slowly nodded at him, but held his gaze. He turned his attention back to his little boy. Then, someone knocked on Nicholas' room.

"_That must be Auntie."_ Nicholas said. _"Time for supper."_ he announced. He looked at his mother. _"What do you think is for dinner?"_ he asked her, wiggling his eyebrows.

"_Forget it. Your auntie is not going to allow you to have that." _Alex replied.

"_She will, if you tell her it's okay."_ Nicholas pleaded.

"_I am not telling her that it's alright for you to have fish fingers and custard for dinner. That's final." _Alex said, soft but stern.

Nicholas squinted his eyes at his mother and smiled. _"Oh well...it was worth a shot."_ he told her. _"I must go now."_ he announced. He turned to Neal, who was still silent. _"Nice seeing you again, Neal!"_ he told him. Then he turned to his mother. _"I love you, Mama!"_ he told her, and then kissed the camera.

Alex smiled. _"I love you more, Moonbeam!"_ she told her son.

"_Not possible!"_ Nicholas said, before he winked. _"See you later!"_ he told them, before turning off his laptop, ending their video chat session.

Alex turned her laptop off as well. She looked at Neal, who remained silent, deep in thought.

"_I know what you're thinking, Caffrey."_ she said, breaking into his thoughts. _"The answer is no...you are not getting Nicholas a panda." _she joked.

"_So...Jack is your boyfriend?"_ Neal asked.

Alex was silent for a moment. She hesitated before answering. _"Yes, he is." _she replied.

"_I don't get it. Back at the terminal..."_ he said.

"_I told you, that was purely tactical-"_ she began before she was interrupted.

"_You kissed me back, Alex!"_ Neal stated.

"_Oh, what are you...twelve?"_ she snapped back.

Neal paused to take a deep breath. _"Are you two...serious?"_ he asked.

"_We are in a committed relationship, yes."_ Alex answered.

Neal scoffed. _"Committed...right."_ he said.

"_What do you want from me, Neal?" _she asked.

"_You know what I want!"_ Neal replied.

"_God, you can't even say it! Do you even know what you want, Neal?"_ she asked him again.

"_Alex-"_ he whispered, as started to move closer to her.

"_Stop...just stop."_ she told him . _"I told you before, Neal. To me, you were an unattainable dream. I finally realized that it was about time that I woke up."_ she told him.

"_Alex, we can still-"_ he said, before he got interrupted again.

"_No, Neal, we can't."_ she said, giving Neal no time to finish his sentence. She couldn't allow herself to be sweet-talked by him again. She continued. _"Don't you understand, Neal? There was never a 'we'...there was never an 'us'."_ she told him.

She looked at Neal and took a deep breath before she spoke again. _"You look at me and you see clandestine meetings and coded notes written on origami lilies. You see me as this troublemaker who likes to stir things up whenever I'm in town...keep things exciting for you. You think of me when you need me, and cast me aside once you're done. Someone good enough to sleep with, but not good enough to love. I deserve more, Neal. I want more. Jack and I, we have a chance make things work. He loves me and he loves Nicholas like he was his own flesh and blood-"_ she explained.

Neal couldn't take it anymore. He moved closer to Alex and held her face in his hands, softly caressing it, as he gently pushed her back against the wall. He wanted to kiss her so badly. He leaned closer and let his lips brush against her forehead, and then her nose. Then he stopped when his mouth was only half an inch way from hers.

Neal stared into Alex's eyes. _"What you said...that may all be true, but that's all in the past. I look at you now, and I see the mother of my son. Someone I can __have a future with. Please, Alex...give me a chance. You owe me that much."_ he told her.

Alex held his gaze. She used her hands to pry Neal's hands off her face, breaking away from his hold. _"I owe you nothing, Neal."_ she told him. She walked towards the door. _"Get out."_ she demanded, as she opened the door.

On the doorway was Valerie, who was about to knock. She entered the suite and noticed the expressions on Neal and Alex's faces, and she knew immediately that she was interrupting something.

_"Hello, Mr. Caffrey."_ Valerie greeted him. She looked at Alex and then turned her attention back to Neal. _"Goodbye, Mr. Caffrey."_ she told him.

Neal got the hint, but hesitated. Then he looked at Alex. He nodded at her, before heading for the door to exit the room.

* * *

><p>~<strong>END OF CHAPTER EIGHT<strong>~

* * *

><p><strong>Footnotes<strong> :

*Alex Hunter...love her or hate her, you must admit she's an interesting character. Whenever she's in town, it always creates drama between Peter and Neal.

*The song that Neal sang in the shower is called "Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps" , originally titled Quizás, Quizás, Quizás. All rights to Cuban songwriter Osvaldo Farres (who composed it) and Joe Davis (who wrote the English lyrics).

*The song that Nicholas played in the violin was "Schubert's Serenade"...all rights to Franz Schubert who composed the song.

*Okay, here it goes...Neal knows that Nicholas is his son. Nicholas knows that Neal is his father. But Neal doesn't know that Nicholas knows. Alex knows that Nicholas knows, but she didn't tell Neal. Confused yet?

*Thank you for taking the time to read this chapter. If you like it, please feel free to leave a comment.


	9. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER NINE**

* * *

><p>Neal did his best to annoy Peter by drumming his fingers loudly on the his desk. They were in Peter's office, waiting for a call for more information regarding their case. They have been waiting since they got there earlier in the morning. Neal was bored and had been grumbling for a while now about wasting his Sunday morning.<p>

"_Would you stop that, please?"_ Peter told him.

"_I fail to see the reason why we're here, Peter. On a Sunday, no less."_ Neal said.

"_Crime doesn't take weekends off."_ Peter quipped. _"Besides, I told you that that we're waiting on information about a possible lead."_ he added, as he continued to read one of the reports.

"_Possible lead...they're not even sure." _Neal replied.

"_Just suck it up. If I have to be here, then so do you."_ Peter said.

"_Where's the rest of the UNSC team anyway? What? They couldn't even be bothered to show up? "_ Neal asked. _"We've been here for hours."_ he whined.

"_Actually, Chief Vega is on a conference call with her superiors. The rest of her agents are coordinating with UNSC-Intel Ops."_ Peter informed him. He looked at Neal. _"Alex is with Agent Cohen and Jones to check out the probable locations of the two remaining statues."_ he added.

"_Why didn't you tell me? I could've gone with them."_ Neal told him.

"_I don't think so."_ Peter shook his head. _"After your little shenanigans the other night, I think it's a safe bet that you and Alex wouldn't be teaming up any time soon. Not if I have anything to say about it."_ he said.

Peter stood up from his chair. He arranged papers and put it in a folder. _"I'm off to brief Hughes. I'll be back soon. Try to stay out of trouble while I'm __gone."_ he said sternly, before leaving the office.

After Peter left, Neal thought about what happened back in Alex's suite. He was still angry with her, after being blind-sided by when he found out about Jack. He was angrier at Jack, and he hasn't even met the guy. Neal knew that it was partly because he was jealous of the man. Mainly because Alex chose him...mostly because he gets to spend time with Nicholas, something Neal had been wanting to do.

Neal sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He knew that he had very limited options, partly of his own doing. He needed to at least be civil towards Alex if he wants another chance to see Nicholas again. However he may feel about the whole situation, Alex is still his son's mother. A part of Neal will always care about her. A piece of his heart will always ache for her. Neal took a deep breath, stood up and left Peter's office. He went downstairs to join the other agents at the bullpen.

* * *

><p>Back in the bullpen, the doors opened and Alex walked in, closely followed by Agent Cohen and Jones. All three of them were drenched from head to foot, their suits soaking wet.<p>

"_Is it raining out side?"_ Neal asked them.

"_No, Caffrey. We were having a wet t-shirt contest."_ Alex replied dryly. She looked at Cohen and Jones and then back to Neal. _"I won."_ she added.

"_I take it you guys didn't find anything."_ Neal stated.

"_No."_ Jones answered. _"We went to all the terminals that Alex's contact gave us. We didn't find any of the two packages."_ he informed Neal. He turned to leave the bullpen. _"I'm going to the locker room to change. I'll brief Peter afterwards."_ he said before he left.

Alex turned to Agent Calvin. _"Is Valerie available?"_ she asked.

"_She's still on a conference call. But she told me to send you in once you get __here."_ Calvin answered.

"_Alright, I'm gonna put on some dry clothes, then I'll go see her."_ Alex said, before heading upstairs, ignoring Neal.

Neal just followed her with his eyes, until she disappeared in one of the offices. He didn't even notice that Agent Calvin was observing him.

"_You two should just do it and get it over with."_ Calvin said.

"_I beg your pardon."_ Neal replied.

"_Oh come on! If I could bottle up the sexual tension between the two of you, I could probably generate enough electricity to supply power to a small country." _said the female UNSC agent._ "Make a move already. What are you afraid of, Caffrey?"_ she asked.

Before Neal could answer, Agent Cohen reappeared in the bullpen. Cohen piped in. _"Are you kidding me, Calvin? Hunter's a ninja. She could do some damage to the pretty boy."_ he teased Neal, while toweling his hair dry.

Diana decided to join the conversation. _"Peter doesn't encourage Neal fraternizing with Alex."_ she told the others, then looked at Neal. _"In any way, shape or form."_ she added.

"_Wow! That sucks for you, Neal." _Agent Calvin said. _"I mean, our boss is a hard-ass, but at least she doesn't dictate who we should and should not sleep with."_ she told Neal.

"_Okay...alright."_ Neal spoke up. He looked at the agents in the bullpen with him. _"I appreciate all the concerns regarding my sex life-"_ he began to say.

"_Or lack thereof."_ Agent Cohen interjected, chuckling.

Neal gave him an irritated look. _"Anyway, can we stop talking about me now? __Please?"_ he said.

Just then, Alex returned to the bullpen from the conference room. She was now dressed in denim jeans, white t-shirt and her favourite leather jacket. Her damp hair was pulled up into a chignon. She rejoined the others and stood next to Neal and Diana.

"_I just talked to Valerie. We received info on a new lead."_ Alex told them. She turned to Neal. _"We're going to check it out as soon as Valerie's done with her conference call. You should tell Agent Burke."_ she told Neal.

"_Yeah, okay. I'll tell him."_ Neal answered. He continued to observe Alex.

Alex noticed that Neal was still standing there. She looked at him questioningly. _"Are you telling him telepathically?"_ she deadpanned.

Suddenly, Peter reappeared upstairs, walking side by side with Hughes and closely followed by Jones.

Neal looked at Alex. _"Maybe."_ he answered with a sly smile.

"_Miss Hunter."_ Agent Hughes called her, as he made his way down to the bullpen with Peter and Jones.

Alex didn't like his tone. They were soon face to face, Hughes standing in front of her, Peter next to him.

"_Yes, Agent Hughes?"_ Alex asked.

"_Let me be sure if I get this correctly...you are here to make sure that we get our hands on those statues, right?"_ Hughes asked. _"I mean, UNSC hired you to make sure that you steal the statues first, before this lunatic ever gets his hands on it. Am I correct?"_ he pressed.

"_Yes, sir."_ Alex answered. _"That, they did."_ she added.

"_Then tell me why on earth, will all your contacts and all of your 'skills', are we now still missing two statues?"_ Hughes asked her, in a slightly raised voice.

"_Agent Hughes!"_ said Valerie, who now joined then in the bullpen as well. _"Mind your tone, please."_ she warned him. _"I know that this is your floor, your office...ergo, your domain, but that does not give you the right to talk to my operative in that manner." _she added.

She walked closer, now in between Alex and Hughes. _"I understand your worries...I share your worries." _she told him. _"But don't take your frustrations out on Alex. This was not her fault."_ she added.

Valerie took a breath before continuing. _"I should tell you that twelve high-ranking people in a committee from YOUR government signed an affidavit to hire Sivan Heussaff as one of this country's chemical weapons specialists. Now, none of those signatures belong to Alex Hunter. She has done nothing but provide us with the help we need. Thanks to her, we now have seven of the nine statues in our possession."_ she added. _"You, Agent Hughes, on the other hand, choose to ignore all __of that because of what you believe that she does for a living!"_ she added, slowly loosing her patience.

Valerie leaned closer and spoke in a softer voice so that the junior agents couldn't hear her. _"Reese, I understand your derision for people like me and Alex. I may not like it, but I understand it. In your eyes, we're merely criminals not worthy of your trust. But OUR existence, however absurd and unfathomable to you, is a lot more tolerable than that of the lunatic that was on your government's payroll for years."_ she told him. _"Now, if you'll excuse us, we still have two more statues to find." _she said.

Valerie turned to face Peter. _"Agent Burke, in case you're interested, we have recent information about a person that might know Heussaff personally. Alex and I are going out to investigate this lead. Whether or not you, or any of your people, would care to join us is entirely up to you." _she told him before turning around to talk to Alex.

Peter discussed the matter with Hughes for a moment. Neal excused himself went over to Valerie and Alex were.

"_Valerie..."_ Neal began.

Alex looked at him and then nodded at Valerie. _"I'll wait at the car."_ Alex told her, before leaving the two of them.

"_What is it, Mr. Caffrey?"_ Valerie asked.

"_I just wanted to say that Alex is lucky to have a friend like you. Thank you for defending her to Hughes."_ Neal said.

"_Like you said, Alex is my friend. We've saved each others lives more than I care to count. My loyalty is to her. I'll defend her to anyone at the drop of a hat."_ Valerie told him. She looked at Neal in the eye before speaking again. _"The question is...why didn't you, Mr Caffrey?"_ she asked, before she turned around and walked away, leaving Neal in stunned silence. Neal wondered if she knew the truth between Alex and him.

Peter tapped Neal on the shoulder to get his attention. _"Let's go, Neal. We're going with them to see where this investigation leads."_ he informed his CI.

* * *

><p>Peter and Neal followed closely behind Valerie's car as they went to see the person that could possibly lead them to Sivan Heusseff. They stopped and parked the car right next to Valerie's. They now stood in front of a small duplex apartment in Marble Hill.<p>

"_Care to share more information as to what we're doing here?"_ Peter asked Valerie.

"_We're here to see a woman named Magda Chabert."_ Valerie answered. _"She used to be the assistant of 'Erwan Solenn', before she quit over a year ago."_ she informed them.

"_If she quit over a year ago, what do you think she can tell us about __Heussaff now?"_ Peter asked again.

_"That's what we're here to find out."_ Valerie told him. _"Shall we?"_ she said.

Peter and Valerie took lead and walked towards the door, followed closely behind by Alex and Neal. Peter knocked on the door a few times. Finally, someone opened it...a woman in her mid-thirties, carrying a crying baby girl in her arms.

"_Magda Chabert?"_ Valerie asked her.

"_Who wants to know?"_ the woman asked.

Peter flashed her his badge. _"Special Agent Peter Burke from the FBI."_ he answered. He nodded to Valerie. _"This is Chief Valerie Vega."_ he introduced her, before pointing to Neal and Alex. _"And those two are our consultants, Neal Caffrey and Alex Hunter."_ he told her. He turned back to the woman. _"May we come in? We have a few questions for you."_ Peter said.

Magda reluctantly let them inside the door, where they found a very cluttered household. _"Sorry for the mess. I didn't count on anyone coming over."_ she said as she continued to rock the crying baby.

"_Miss Chabert, we're here to talk to you regarding Erwan Solenn."_ Valerie told her.

"_I think you mean Sivan Heussaff, Chief Vega."_ Magda replied. She looked at Valerie. _"I know all about him."_ she said as she continued to comfort her daughter.

Valerie was surprised at the revelation. _"Can we speak in private, Miss Chabert?"_ she asked. Valerie motioned for Peter to take the baby. She turned back to Magda. _"Agent Burke here can take care of your baby while we talk."_ she told her.

Magda hesitated at first, but she handed her daughter over to Peter, who reluctantly took the baby. _"Her name is Fleur."_ she told Peter, before walking over to the living room with Valerie.

* * *

><p>Peter didn't know what to do with the crying baby. He was not known for his skills with children. He held the baby up in an awkwardly manner. Alex took notice of this and walk towards him.<p>

"_You have got to be kidding me!"_ Alex said. _"You have never held a baby before, have you?"_ she asked. The look of alarm on Peter's face is answer enough. _"Give her to me."_ she told him, holding out her arms.

Peter handed the little baby over to Alex. Alex took Fleur into her arms and began to gently rock her and make hushing noises. Fleur soon stopped her crying and began to coo.

"_How did you do that?" _Peter asked her.

Alex didn't take her eyes off of Fleur. _"The secret is the soft hushing noises. Babies find them comforting because it reminds them of the sounds they heard back when they were inside their mother's womb."_ she explained.

"_Okaaay!"_ Peter said. _"I'm gonna go over there, see if Chief Vega needs my help."_ he excused himself and joined Valerie and Magda in the living room.

Neal merely stood there in silence and watched the touching scene. He observed at how Alex expertly took care of little baby Fleur. Talking to Fleur, wiping the tears from her little face and making her smile. To Neal, it was like a peek at what he had missed when Nicholas was growing up.

Neal moved closer to them. He tried to cheer Fleur up as well, and was rewarded with a cute smile. He turned to face Alex, his eyes almost watering.

"_Alex, I..."_ he began to say, before choking on the words. He took a deep breath and proceeded. _"Everything had been so crazy lately. After I found out __about Nicholas, too many emotions just overwhelmed me."_ he said. _"I was too preoccupied at being surprised, and confused, and angry..."_ Neal looked at her eyes. _"I forgot to say thank you."_ he told her.

"_Thank me?"_ Alex asked, quite confused.

"_Yes, Alex. Thank you very much, for giving me a healthy son. Thank you for taking good care of him, and for loving him. Thank you for raising our son to be quite an amazing little boy."_ Neal whispered.

Alex looked at him and saw the honesty in his eyes. She smiled at Neal. _"It was my pleasure, Caffrey."_ she answered softly.

Together, they took care of baby Fleur and took turns on making her laugh.

* * *

><p>Back in the living room, Peter and Valerie continued to let Magda tell her story.<p>

"_I was Erwan Solenn's assistant for almost three years."_ Magda began. _"He was such a lonely man when I first started working for him. The eccentric art collector. Always keeping to himself. I was lucky if he said six words to me in one day. Very secretive. He was away on 'business' most of the time."_ she told them.

Magda continued _"One time, he got very sick. He had no one to take care of him, no friends or relatives...so I did it. I nursed him back to health. He took that as a sign of loyalty, I suppose. We became friends after that."_ she said. Then she stopped for a moment and then reluctantly continued. _"And then we became closer."_ she added.

"_You two were lovers?"_ Valerie asked. _"Fleur...she's his daughter." _she deduced.

Magda nodded. _"Yes."_ she answered._ "I became his girlfriend. We were happy for a while, until all the secrets got in the way." s_he continued. _"It was __then that be told me the truth about himself. That he was really Sivan Heussaff and that he worked for the United States government as chemical weapons specialist. He made me swear to secrecy that I wouldn't tell anyone." _she said. She let out a dry laugh. _"He made it sound like one of those spy novels. It all seemed very exciting to me."_ she added.

"_What happened next?"_ Peter asked Magda.

"_One night, he got drunk and told me about his other experiment."_ Magda answered. _"He said he was secretly making some new type of poison gas."_ she told them. _"That scared me. I confronted him the next day and told him to give up this research, but he wouldn't listen. He told me that I didn't understand, and that the world will thank him one day."_ she said.

Magda turned to Valerie._"I was the one who notified NSA about his research. I went behind Sivan's back and reported him.I figured if I told them, then they could stop him from doing any harm. They just fired him and took all of his research. That made him mad. He took out his anger on me."_ she sobbed. _" I left him after that. I just packed my bags and __disappeared. Weeks later after I left Sivan, I found out that I was pregnant with Fleur. I gave birth to her just a few months ago. I pray that I never have to tell her the truth about her father."_ Magda finished her story.

"_Magda..."_ Valerie said. _"About Sivan. It appears that he completed his research. Authorities are now looking for him. We have a reason to believe that he's planning to use those chemical weapons to do something that would be considered as act act of terrorism."_ she informed her.

"_Ma'am, if there's anything at all that you could tell us that would help us find him and stop him...we would be very grateful."_ Peter told her.

Magda thought for a moment. _"Have you checked his office?"_ she asked him.

"_Yes, ma'am, we have. Right after we checked his apartment. I'm afraid we didn't find anything."_ Peter answered.

"_No, not the one in Fifth Avenue. He has another office downtown in Chambers Street that doubled as a laboratory."_ Magda informed them.

"_Can you write down the address for us?"_ Valerie asked her.

Magda wrote the address on a piece of paper and handed it to her. Valerie and Peter thanked her and proceeded to get Neal and Alex to tell them that they were leaving. Neal and Peter headed out the door, followed closely by Valerie. Alex was the last one to leave. Before she left, she went to Magda and took a card out of her pocket.

"_Here, Magda."_ Alex said as she handed her the card. _"Take this card to that address. Tell them Cordelia Wagner sent you. They will give you a job. It's not much, but they can offer you health benefits and caring options for Fleur."_ she told her.

"_Thank you so much."_ Magda said. _"You don't know how much this means to me."_ she told Alex.

Alex smiled. _"I think I do."_ she replied.

Alex turned around to join Valerie, who was waiting at the car. Together, Alex and Val, followed by Neal and Peter, left to go to Sivan Heusseff's office back in Chambers Street.

* * *

><p>~<strong>END OF CHAPTER NINE<strong>~

* * *

><p><strong>Footnotes<strong> :

*Since Hughes was the one in charge of Carol/Valerie's case back then, he knows that Valerie herself was a thief and doesn't trust her.

*Valerie knows about Nicholas. She and Alex, along with Aretha, have been friends for years.

*In my stories, Alex, much like Neal, has a wide variety of aliases. I wrote one of them as Cordelia Wagner.

*Thank you for taking the time to read this chapter. If you like it, please feel free to leave a comment.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N :** Some violence on this chapter. Nothing graphic, but it could be disturbing to some. Please be warned.

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER TEN<strong>

* * *

><p>Valerie's car pulled up in front of Heusaff's office, followed closely by Peter's car. All four of them got out and proceeded to check for a sign that there was anyone inside. The office appeared to be abandoned. Peter tried the door, but it was locked.<p>

"_Peter, look away. I insist."_ Neal told him.

"_What? Why?"_ Peter asked.

"_Because I'm about to do something you would not approve of."_ Neal answered.

Peter reluctantly turned away, Neal then proceeded to pick the lock of the door.

"_Okay, you can turn around now."_ Neal said.

Peter rolled his eyes. _"Let's go."_ he said.

Peter and Valerie pulled out their weapons, before proceeding. Peter went inside first, going to the left, followed behind by Valerie, who went to the right.

"_Clear!"_ Peter said.

"_Clear!"_ Valerie replied.

Peter and Valerie concealed their weapons again and motioned for Neal and Alex to come in. Once they were all inside, they proceeded to look around the office. It was a fairly small office. It had a chair and a desk with a phone that doesn't work, very drab wallpaper and an empty file cabinet.

"_Hardly looks like an office."_ Neal observed.

"_That's because it isn't. Magda said that this is a laboratory."_ Peter told him.

"_There must be another room in here somewhere."_ Valerie said. She looked at Alex, who look apprehensive about the whole office. _"What is it?"_ she asked her friend.

"_No mirrors anywhere." _Alex replied.

"_Why is that so important?"_ Peter asked her.

Alex looked at him. _"You'd be surprised at the things you can do when you don't have to look at yourself in the mirror."_ she answered cryptically, before she continued to look around.

They continued to observed what else was in the office. Towards the middle of the room, Alex noticed a small coffee table with a glass of juice in it, indicating that there was somebody had been in there recently. Alex stared at the glass intently and noticed something odd about it. The contents of the glass were uneven, which meant that either the room was slanted or the floors were tilted.

"_I think I found it."_ Alex told them.

She immediately pushed the table off and pulled the rug out from under it, exposing a concealed door in the floor. She pulled on the handle and lifted it, revealing a secret passage that led down to the basement. Peter went down the stairs first, behind him was Valerie. Alex and Neal followed them closely.

Once they reached the bottom of the stairs, they saw the laboratory that Magda told them about. They inspected the room from wall to wall and found Heussaff's desk. Valerie looked inside the drawers and found the two remaining statues.

"_Alex, come here and take a look at these."_ Valerie told her.

Alex walked towards her and took one of the statues from Valerie. She looked at it closely and thoroughly. _"The last one that Neal and I recovered was Isis, goddess of motherhood, magic and fertility. These would be the last remaining two statues. That one you're holding is the statue of Atum, creator of the world."_ she informed them. She held out the other statue in her hand. _"This is the last piece, Seth, the god of storm, darkness, war and chaos."_ she added.

"_He wouldn't just leave it here in this place though. Not after everything he did just to get them back."_ Neal stated.

"_No, he wouldn't."_ Alex answered.

Alex pressed her thumbs on the statues eyes. It clicked open, revealing the inside of the statue. It was empty...the GX-42 that was supposed to be contained inside was gone. Valerie did the same thing to the other statue. Again, it was also empty. Sivan Heussaff was now in possession of two spheres of GX-42.

"_This is bad! He could do a lot of damage even with just those two spheres."_ Valerie said, as they continued to look around for any more clues.

Peter took out his phone and called Diana. _"Diana, I need you to call Special Agent Gardner and have him send a team here 198 Chambers Street."_ he told her. _"Also, tell Jones to put out an APB for Sivan Heussaff. Make sure they have the recent photograph. And let NYPD know that there's a massive manhunt for this lunatic. He is currently carrying chemical weapons on him. We're gonna need all the help we can get."_ he added, before hanging up.

Neal noticed something in the trash. It was a piece of paper that was burnt, most probably Heussaff's attempt to cover up his tracks. He picked it up and inspected it carefully. It was part of a map of the New York City Subway.

"_I know where he's headed."_ Neal said. _"He's going to Time Square."_ he told them, as he showed them a piece of the map.

Valerie took out her phone and called Agent Calvin, and started spouting out orders. _"Agent Calvin, I need you to coordinate with Agent Davies from CTD and Keith Bauer from DHS. Tell them Heussaff now has two of the GX-42 spheres in his possession, and that he is headed towards the New York City Subway Station. Tell Agent Cohen to get the team together and head over there. I want agents on foot to cover all points in Time Square, from intersections of 42__nd__ Street, Seventh Avenue, and Broadway. I want HazChem containment units on standby. We have weapons of mass destruction headed in that area."_ Valerie told her agent before hanging up.

She looked at Peter and Neal. _"You two wait till the WMDD team gets here. Make sure to tell them to 'SANITIZE' the area. They'll know what that means."_ Valerie told them.

"_Hold on! We're coming with you!"_ Peter contradicted.

"_Look, Peter, we don't have time to argue. Just this once, do as I say!"_ Valerie ordered, before leaving Heussaff's laboratory. Alex followed her closely behind.

* * *

><p>When Valerie and Alex arrived at the scene, they were met by Agent Cohen to brief them. They were joined by Agent Davies and Bauer, who informed Valerie of the plan.<p>

"_We have NYPD officers from twelve different precincts patrolling all the entrance and exits, as well as all the lines and shuttle transfers underground." _Bauer told her.

"_I got my people covering half the station complex and your team covering the other half. ESU is here to provide us with any help we need."_ Agent Davies informed Valerie.

"_Thank you, gentlemen."_ Valerie said. _"Anybody spots Heussaff, be advised to proceed with caution. He is mentally unstable, we don't know what he is capable __of. Those two spheres that he is carrying is enough to kill at least a million people, so for God's sake, don't let him anywhere near water!" _Valerie told them before joining her team.

* * *

><p>Peter and Neal arrived at the scene half an hour later, after giving the WMDD team Valerie's specific instructions. Agents and police officers and K-9 units, along with the angry pedestrians mobbed Time Square. NYPD were doing their best to do crowd control. Amidst all the chaos, they found Jones and Diana, who ushered them inside the municipal van.<p>

"_What's the status?"_ Peter asked them once inside.

"_We got NYPD officers manning the entrance and exits. Some of them are on foot with K-9 units underground. We got CTD and UNSC on detail along with ESU covering the areas underground." _Jones briefed him.

"_Bauer from Homeland Security is in the UNSC van. He is the point person up here. Chief Vega and Agent Davies are the team leaders underground. We've __been ordered to stay behind the yellow line until told otherwise."_ Diana informed him. _"Basically, boss...we got benched."_ she added.

While Jones and Diana briefed Peter more information about the plans, Neal watch the monitors. He saw Alex come out of the UNSC van, zipping up her jacket partially covering her face. She stealthily managed to sneak past a few of the officers and made her way down the 42nd Street-Port Authority Bus Terminal express station.

_Alex, what are you doing?_ Neal thought to himself.

He looked around at the van. Everyone was too busy and preoccupied with the operation in progress. It wasn't too difficult for Neal to sneak out of the van and follow Alex.

Once they were done discussing, Peter turned around to look for his CI. _"Neal,-"_ he started to say, before finding out that Neal was gone. Peter looked at Jones and Diana. _"Where the hell did he go? Find me Caffrey, now!"_ Peter ordered them.

* * *

><p>Neal followed Alex down the express station, running as fast as he could to try and keep up.<p>

"_Alex!"_ he called her.

"_Caffrey...what are you doing here?"_ Alex asked him.

"_Following you!"_ Neal replied. _"Come on, let's go back up and let the experts handle this."_ he told Alex. He was frustrated when he saw her continue to move forward. He followed her again.

"_Why are you here anyway?"_ Neal asked her.

"_I'm trying to help Valerie apprehend a mad scientist."_ Alex replied.

"_Yes, but why HERE?"_ Neal pressed.

"_You don't take the subway do you?" _Alex asked him._ "If you did, then you would know that this is the only terminal around this area that has fully functional restrooms." _Alex informed Neal_. "Heussaff needs water for the GX-42...this is where he'll be."_ Alex added.

As Alex predicted, Sivan Heussaff, who was wearing dark glasses and black clothing, proceeded to go to the restrooms. He stopped on his tracks once he saw police officers guarding the entrances, then he slowly backed off and ran away. Neal told the officers about Heussaff, while Alex ran after the scientist.

Alex spoke through her comlink. _"Vega, I have the subject spotted down here at the IND Eighth Avenue line. Currently in pursuit near the tracks of the A train."_ Alex informed the UNSC team as she ran after the Heussaff. Neal was right behind her.

Heussaff stopped running all of a sudden and looked at the two who was chasing him. Alex and Neal thought he was about to give himself up, then he smiled that evil smile. They saw where he was standing. He was right next to a drinking fountain. Heussaff took his gloved hands out of his pockets and held out two silver spheres. He was planning to release the GX-42 right there.

Neal knew that they needed to buy some time until the rest of the teams get there. He started talking to Heussaff.

"_Nobody needs to die today."_ Neal told the scientist. _"Just tell us your demands and we'll do our best to give them to you." _he said, trying to keep his calm.

"_You think I'm stupid? I've worked in your government long enough to know that you people don't negotiate with-"_ Heussaff said, before stopping himself.

"_With what?"_ Alex asked him. _"Terrorists? Is that what you were about to say, Mr. Heussaff? Because right now, that is exactly what you are!"_ she added.

"_It's PROFESSOR Heussaff! I've earned that! They can't take that away from me!"_ he snarled. _"I've spent most of my entire career making sure that this country is defended. Making sure that the troops are properly armed whenever they go to battle. You'd think that they'd be grateful!"_ Heussaff screamed.

"_What is it that you want, sir?"_ Neal asked him.

"_I wanted to arm this country!"_ the madman replied. _"There's a new war coming, far worse than the last one! I wanted to prepare you all! Save your lives!"_ he rambled. _"What did I get in return?"_ he asked. _"I was fired from my job, and was labeled as a lunatic by my peers! This is the thanks I get? I warned them! They didn't listen! Today is the day that I make them sorry for the wrong decision they made!"_ he added.

"_You can't kill all these people."_ Neal told him, looking at the passengers who were still inside the subway, oblivious to what was going on. _"These people have done nothing wrong to you."_ he said.

"_I believe your government calls that 'collateral damage'."_ Heussaff replied. _"Not that they're a such a great loss anyway! Have you seen 'America's Got Talent'? These useless people will finally serve their purpose! The deaths of these people will let the world know that I was right."_ he laughed maniacally. _"I will be vindicated. I die, but my creation will go on!"_ he told him.

"_Your creation? You mean your research? I hate to be the bearer of more bad news, but your research has been destroyed."_ Neal told him. _"We found your hidden lab in Chambers Street. I was there when the WMDD unit incinerated everything."_ he informed Heussaff.

Heussaff growled in anger. _"You ruined everything!"_ he yelled. _"It doesn't matter. I can still kill all of us. And you have no one else to blame but your government!" _he said.

"_Wrong! Our blood will be on your hands."_ Alex told him. _"The world will forever view you as a mass murderer. That is how you'll be know by your __daughter!"_ she informed him.

"_I have no daughter!"_ Heussaff snarled at her. _"This is one of your tricks!"_ he said.

"_We met Magda!"_ Neal told him. _"She was pregnant with your child when she left you. You have a three-month old daughter named Fleur."_ he informed the madman. _"Don't let this be the legacy that you leave her!"_ he pleaded.

"_Fleur?"_ Heussaff asked. _"Too bad..." _he said, as he shook his head. _"She's just gonna have to learn to live with life's disappointments!"_ he added, right before dropping the spheres into the drinking fountain. He pressed his foot on the pedal, but NO WATER CAME OUT.

Neal smiled. _"While we were busy talking, the New York City Water Services turned off all the water pipes around this area. So that drinking fountain is currently out of service."_ Neal informed him.

All of a sudden, Peter showed up, along with Jones and Diana as well as some uniformed police officers from the NYPD.

"_Freeze, Heussaff! Hands where I can see them!"_ Peter warned the scientist.

Heussaff held his hands up. Jones handcuffed him. Diana read him his rights, and he was about to be led away, when he stopped in front of Neal. _"You think you're so clever."_ he said to Neal with an evil smile.

Diana urged him to continue walking. She handed him over to the another agent, accompanied by two police officers.

Neal looked at Alex and smiled. _"Not a bad job for a couple of 'consultants'."_ he said. Alex laughed with him.

What occurred next happened very quickly. They all heard Heussaff yell. He had picked the locks of his handcuffs and was struggling with the officers who held him captive. He managed to grab one of the officers gun, and then aimed it at Neal and fired the weapon.

Neal felt someone push him down of the ground. He looked up and saw that it was Alex. The bullet connected and hit Alex right on the chest.

Seconds later, two more shots were fired. This time, it was from Valerie's gun. She had shot Heussaff in the heart and then right between the eyes. Heussaff's lifeless body crumpled on the ground.

Neal ran immediately and held Alex's body in his arms. Her eyes were closed and she remained motionless. He was then joined by Peter and Valerie, who knelt down on the ground beside Neal.

Alex softly coughed and slowly opened her eyes. She noticed everyone looking at her, and she tried to get up. She winced in pain and touched her chest.

"_Hey, don't move! You just got shot!"_ Neal told her, his concern clearly visible on his face, especially in his eyes.

"_I'm fine, Caffrey."_ she assured him. _"Help me up."_ she said. Neal and Valerie both helped her stand up. She unzipped her jacket, revealing her Kevlar vest. She looked at Valerie. _"I listen to you every once in a while."_ she told her friend, before coughing again.

"_You sure you're alright?"_ Neal asked her.

"_Yeah. Feels like I got kicked by a mule, but I'll live." _Alex assured him. _"You can use the body bag on him."_ she said, motioning towards Heussaff's corpse.

Alex turned to face Valerie. _"Thank you."_ she told her.

"_Don't mention it."_ Valerie replied.

Neal held Alex's face. _"Thanks. You saved me again."_ he said.

Alex smiled. _"It's what we do."_ she replied. She pulled away from Neal and joined Valerie's side.

Valerie looked at Peter. _"Thank you for coming to the rescue, Agent Burke."_ she told him.

"_Just doing my job, Chief Vega."_ Peter replied.

"_Riiight..."_ Alex spoke. _"Now that we've all thanked each other, how about we all get out of here now?"_ she asked.

* * *

><p>Peter sat in his office. He just finished typing up his report regarding the Heussaff case. The UNSC team, along with the FBI and DHS have concluded the investigation and considered the case closed. Valerie and her team finalized their reports as well, and were packing up their equipments and getting ready to leave. Just then, someone knocked at his door.<p>

"_Come in."_ Peter answered.

Alex went inside his office. _"You requested to see me, Agent Burke?"_ she asked.

"_Yes, Alex. Please, sit down."_ Peter told her.

Alex sat down on one of the chairs. _"What's this about?"_ she asked again.

"_How are you? Everything alright? Are you breathing better now?"_ Peter asked her.

"_Yes, everything's fine. I got a couple of bruised ribs, but other than that, nothing too serious."_ Alex answered.

"_Good."_ Peter said. He took a deep breath before continuing. _"Alex...I __wanted to thank you for saving Neal's life."_ he told her.

Alex held her hand up. _"No need, Peter."_ she replied. _"Neal and I, we've known each other too long. We have too much history. We may not always be on each others side, but when worse comes to worst, he's got my back and I got his. It's what we do." _Alex told him.

Peter nodded. _"Which is why it's hard for me to say this, and it will be harder for you to hear it."_ he said. He looked at Alex straight in the eyes. _"I need you to stay away from Neal, Alex."_ he told her.

"_Excuse me?"_ Alex asked, confused at what he said.

Peter leaned back on his chair and sighed, before he continued. _"You have done nothing but cause trouble for Neal ever since the two of you met. You were the one who brought him along in pursuit of the music box that turned his world upside down. Every time you come back in his life, you bring danger with you. Whether it's stealing from the Italian Consulate, running __from the Detroit mob, breaking into a Federal agent's apartment, getting kidnapped by Adler...it's always something! And you always drag Neal along with you! That needs to stop! You almost got him killed today! He followed you down that subway station, disregarding his own safety, because he was worried about you. I don't know why, but for some odd reason, you seem to have a hold on him. I'm telling you now, if you care about Neal at all, you'll stay away from him. He's on a path of making himself a better person...don't lead him astray."_ Peter told her.

There was silence inside Peter's office for a while. Alex just sat there and let his words sink in, but didn't answer him. Finally, she looked at him and nodded in understanding. With that, she stood up, headed towards the door and left his office.

Moments later, there was another knock on his door. This time, it was Valerie.

"_Hey there. You have a minute?" _Valerie asked him.

"_Yeah, sure. Sit down, please."_ Peter answered.

"_No, it's okay. This won't take long." _Valerie said. _"I just wanted to thank you for all the assistance on this case."_ she told him. _"I know that my team and I, we're not exactly the easiest people to work with. I appreciate all of the courtesy you've extended."_ she added.

"_You're welcome, Chief Vega."_ Peter told her.

"_We're all packed up and ready to go. We're headed to the airport first thing tomorrow morning. We'll all be out of your hair soon."_ Valerie informed him.

"_Well...it was nice working with you."_ Peter said graciously.

Valerie nodded. She looked at Peter's desk and saw Elizabeth's photo. _"She's lovely, Peter."_ Valerie said. _"You're wife is very lovely."_ she added. _"Are you happy?"_ she asked him.

"_Very."_ Peter replied.

"_That's good. I wanted nothing more but happiness for you."_ Valerie told him. She started to head for the door, but then changed her mind. She walked back towards his desk.

"_I was at your wedding. I didn't want it to turn into a Spanish telenovela, so I kept myself hidden...but I was at your wedding. I saw how good she was with you, and I saw how happy you were with her and I felt glad that the two of you found each other."_ Valerie revealed to him.

Peter was about to say something, but Valerie waved her hand to stop him. She took a deep breath before continuing. _"Believe me when I tell you this, Peter Burke. You were that one part of my life that was the hardest to let go off."_ she told him. _"In my head, I had these doubts on whether or not I did the right thing when I left you."_ she added.

Then she looked at him straight in the eye. _"It took tonight for me to realize that I made the right decision all along."_ she said.

She saw the look of confusion in Peter's face, and she continued. _"I heard you talking to Alex earlier, Peter. I see a lot of myself in her. Believe me, she's not as bad as you make her out to be." _she told him. _"After listening to your little sermon, I realized...that could've been me. If you and I have gotten married...if I have never left you, THAT is what my life would've been like. I would've never been accepted as your wife. I can just see your friends and colleagues. Every look filled with disapproval...every word dripping with disdain. That was how you treated Alex, who's only fault was sharing a past with Caffrey and having a career that you don't approve of."_ she stated.

Valerie stared at Peter straight in the eye. _"Thank you, Peter. Now I can rest easy, knowing that I made the right choice. Have a good life."_ she said, before heading towards the door.

"_Carol...wait!"_ Peter stopped her.

She turned back. _"No, Peter...it's Valerie, remember? Carol died a long, long time ago."_ she told him, as she opened the door and left his office.

* * *

><p>Valerie went to find Alex, who was sitting in the dark, waiting for her.<p>

"_You good to go?"_Alex asked Valerie once she saw her approaching.

"_Yes. But I don't want go back to the hotel just yet." _Valerie answered._ "This is your neck of the woods. Tell me...where can a girl go to have some fun?"_ she asked Alex.

"_Depends on what kind of fun you have in mind."_ Alex answered.

"_Surprise me."_ Valerie told her, as they both headed out the door.

* * *

><p>Neal went to the conference room that was UNSC's makeshift office. He looked inside and was disappointed to find it empty.<p>

Peter appeared out of nowhere. _"They left over an hour ago. Their job here is done and they're headed for the airport first thing tomorrow morning." _he told Neal.

Neal was dismayed that he didn't get to say a proper goodbye to Alex. He looked at Peter. _"I think I'll head home now."_ he told his friend.

"_It's still early."_ Peter said. _"You wanna go grab a beer or something?"_ he asked Neal, who was reluctant at first. _"Come on! El is still out of town. All I got waiting for me at home is Satchmo. Help a guy out, will you? Where can we go tonight to have some fun?"_ Peter asked him.

"_Depends on your definition of fun."_ Neal replied.

"_Surprise me."_ Peter told him, as they both headed towards the elevators.

* * *

><p>~<strong>FINI<strong>~

* * *

><p><strong>FOOTNOTES<strong> :

*I'm not an expert...I have no idea on what the proper procedures are regarding with incidents involving WMDs.

*I had trouble getting inside a mad scientist's head...if you didn't like that part, it's okay. I didn't have fun writing it.

*To all those who requested an El/Valerie meeting, sorry to disappoint you guys. It just didn't fit in my story.

*Thank you for taking time to read this story. To those who liked it, you kept my morale strong. To those who hated it, you gave me a good learning experience. Hope you still read the stories I write in the future.


End file.
